WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A new study suggests that gabapentin, a drug used to treat seizures, nerve pain, and restless leg syndrome, may be linked to a higher risk of dementia.
To understand the possible link, researchers looked at real-time data from a U.S. health research network called TriNetX, which includes records from 68 health care organizations.
They studied anonymous records of over 26,000 adults who were prescribed gabapentin and compared them with a similar group who weren't. All had chronic lower back pain between 2004 and 2024. The researchers also considered other health conditions and medications.
Researchers found that people who regularly used gabapentin had a 29 percent higher risk of developing dementia and an 85 percent higher risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), according to a study published in the journal Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine.
People who had six or more gabapentin prescriptions were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with dementia or MCI within 10 years of their first pain diagnosis.
The risk was even higher for younger adults. For example, those aged 35 to 49 who took gabapentin were more than twice as likely to develop dementia and over three times more likely to develop MCI compared to those who didn't take the drug. A similar trend was seen in adults aged 50 to 64. However, no increased risk was found in those aged 18 to 34.
The risk also went up with more prescriptions. People who had 12 or more prescriptions had a 40 percent higher chance of developing dementia and a 65 percent higher chance of developing MCI than those who had between 3 and 11 prescriptions.
'Our findings indicate an association between gabapentin prescription and dementia or cognitive impairment within 10 years. Moreover, increased gabapentin prescription frequency correlated with dementia incidence,' the authors noted.
'Our results support the need for close monitoring of adult patients prescribed gabapentin to assess for potential cognitive decline.'
However, the researchers stressed that this was an observational study, so it doesn't prove that gabapentin causes dementia. They also noted some limitations such as not having details about the dose or how long patients used the drug.
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