A study conducted by a group of scientists in Canada has deduced that people with a history of psychiatric and neurological disorders are at a heightened risk of developing similar conditions in the future. 

Published in the journal  ‘Age and Ageing’, the research is Ontario’s largest, both in length of time studied and population size. It was conducted by the researchers of the University of Waterloo and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Science, in collaboration with Neurodegenerative Disease Research Initiative (ONDRI).

The study also analyzed the influence of gender in developing the conditions. 

“Globally, neurological and psychiatric disorders are leading causes of disability and death,” said Colleen Maxwell, lead author of the study and a professor at the School of Pharmacy at Waterloo.

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“Understanding which disorders or conditions are risk factors for, or early manifestations of, later disorders will help healthcare providers and family provide proactive care for individuals living with these conditions,” Maxwell added. 

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The researchers of the study used provincial health databases to study data of over five million Ontario residents aged 40 to 85. 

Over the course of time, the researchers analyzed the correlation between common neurological conditions such as dementia or stroke, and psychiatric disorders like anxiety and depression.

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After studying how the experience of a previous condition creates the future risk of developing related conditions, the researchers found that the rate of developing a second condition increased in almost all cases. For instance, individuals with prior Parkinson’s disease had four times the rate of developing dementia.

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The research also found that women who had suffered a stroke were more likely to develop dementia later, compared to their male counterparts.