Trauma, Alcohol, and Aging
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and chronic alcohol consumption are both established risk factors for the development of Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias (ADRD). Further, many people with a history of mTBI consume high amounts of alcohol. Evidence shows that those with previous mTBIs are about twice as likely to have alcohol use disorder than those without a diagnosis. This is especially relevant in the military population, as veterans experience higher rates of both mTBI and alcohol use disorder. Despite the high comorbidity of mTBI and alcohol consumption, the interaction of mTBI and AUD in contributing to ADRD and other aging-related outcomes remains understudied.There are overlapping mechanistic consequences of alcohol use and mTBI, which may also play a role in accelerated and unhealthy aging. Multiple pathways and systems of the body are implicated here, including inflammation and immune activation, the gut microbiome axis, the glymphatic system, metabolism, and more. This project aims to define aging-related behavioral and biological consequences of chronic alcohol use after repetitive blast trauma. Our novel SIP system will provide a paradigm for chronic alcohol consumption and robust information on drinking patterns. We hope that this project will provide a holistic characterization of how aging is affected by trauma and alcohol over the lifespan, highlight new biomarkers to predict adverse outcomes, and ultimately provide potential clinical targets to combat adverse comorbid outcomes in the aging population.
