If you or someone you care about takes gabapentin regularly for chronic back pain — especially long-term — it may be worth discussing with your physician whether continuing the drug remains the best option.
Ask about alternative treatments for chronic back pain: physical therapy, exercise, lifestyle modifications, or non-drug approaches — especially if pain is manageable.
For those continuing gabapentin, regular monitoring of cognitive health (memory, thinking, daily functioning) could help catch any early signs of decline.
A Call for More Research — and Caution
Authors of the study advise that further, more controlled research is needed to determine whether gabapentin directly contributes to dementia, or whether other factors (e.g., chronic pain itself, inactivity, other medications) are at play.
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In the meantime — while gabapentin remains widely prescribed — patients and healthcare providers should weigh its potential benefits against growing evidence of long-term neurological risk.
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