Is it possible that traumatic head injuries in childhood cause dementia in older age?

Hello doctor,

I have recently come across an article stating traumatic brain injuries lead to an elevated probability of developing dementia. I found this information quite concerning as I faced multiple milder head injuries as a child, teenager, and now I wonder about the chances of developing such a health problem.

I am a 30-year-old female. In my family, we have a history of severe cognitive decline at a late stage of life. Both my grandfathers had mixed-type dementia, but it started after 80 in both of their cases. As a child, I have always been a bit clumsy, resulting in two concussions (one in a bicycle accident and another one by being hit hard two times with a football at school) and several smaller head injuries (like accidentally hitting my head into the wall of the pool while swimming, etc.).

A couple of years ago, I had a non-contrast MRI for evaluating my migraines, which came out negative. I do not experience any signs of cognitive problems at this point; I am very much active intellectually. I passionately love my job, and I spend most of my free time reading and painting. On the other hand, I do experience some psychiatric problems. I have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder III early this year (though I think my symptoms have always been present), and I take Tegretol to keep that manageable. The latter dramatically reduced my migraines' frequency, as well.

Given the above information, how probable do you think is developing dementia in my case? Are there any preventive steps I can take to reduce this risk?

Hi doctor,

Thank you for your kind help.