I took it because my back hurt... Nerve pain medication increases dementia risk by up to 2 times
Jul 14, 2025
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A research team at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Ohio recently published the results of analyzing data from 68 medical institutions in the United States in the journal `Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine.' The research team said that patients who were prescribed gabapentin more than six times had a 29% increased risk of developing dementia and an 85% increased risk of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
According to the study, among adults between the ages of 18 and 64, the group who took gabapentin was more than twice as likely to suffer from dementia or cognitive impairment as those who did not.
In particular, the 35-49 age group had more than twice the risk of dementia and more than three times the mild cognitive impairment. People aged 50 to 64 showed a similar trend of increasing risk.
On the other hand, no statistically significant increase in risk was observed for patients aged 18-34.
In addition, the higher the number of Gabapentin prescriptions, the higher the risk.
Patients who were prescribed more than 12 times had a 40% higher incidence of dementia and mild cognitive impairment up to 65%. This suggests that the frequency of drug use is closely related to cognitive decline.
However, since this study is an observational study, a clear causal relationship cannot be verified, and variables such as dose or duration were not considered.
The research team argued that "a significant association was observed between gabapentin prescription and the development of dementia and cognitive impairment" In particular, repeated prescriptions may increase the risk of cognitive decline in the future". "If gabapentin is prescribed to adults, regular monitoring of changes in long-term cognitive function is required," he added.
Meanwhile, gabapentin was originally developed as a treatment for epilepsy, but is now widely used to treat neuropathic pain (chronic pain caused by peripheral nerve damage). However, in recent years, there have also been concerns that the drug is associated with cognitive decline, depression, and drug dependence.
Another study published earlier this year in the international journal Alzheimer's & Dementia concluded that antibiotics, antiviral drugs, and anti-inflammatory drugs had positive effects on preventing dementia, while antipsychotics and benzodiazepine drugs could increase the risk of dementia.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
