A high portion of first responders during the tragic events of 9/11 have new cognitive impairments years after their initial cognitive assessments.

This could put as many as 60,000 men and women who worked in rescue and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center site at increased risk of early-onset dementia. In the new study scientists studied blood samples from 1800 first respondents and connected the genetic marker Apolipoprotien-e4 which is associated with Alzheimers and Dementia, had advanced levels of cognitive the longer the respondents were exposed to toxic gases on Ground zero. “One of the most concerning results of our findings is that we found that a significant portion of our first responders had had new onset cognitive impairment when many of them were cognitively normal within the past few years”. The team says doctors who treat 9/11 first responders with PTSD need to monitor them not just for symptoms of anxiety but for early signs of cognitive decline. 

Reference URL- https://www.firerescue1.com/health/articles/395004018-Study-9-11-first-responders-with-PTSD-at-higher-risk-for-early-onset-dementia/

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