Healio (8/19, Herpen) reports a study found that “use of gabapentin among adults with chronic low back pain was significantly associated with increased risk of dementia and mild cognitive impairment.” Researchers observed that participants in “all age groups who were given six or more gabapentin prescriptions logged an increased incidence of dementia and MCI. When stratified by age, adults aged 18 to 64 years who were prescribed gabapentin had more than twice the risk of dementia and MCI compared with those who were not prescribed gabapentin.” The research team “further reported this risk increased with more frequent gabapentin prescriptions, as those in all age groups with 12 or more prescriptions had a higher incidence of dementia and MCI vs. those only prescribed the drug three to 11 times.” The study was published in Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine.
Related Links:
— “Gabapentin linked to higher risk of dementia, cognitive issues in adults with chronic pain,” Robert Herpen, MA, Healio, August 19, 2025