People of all ages can find something to love about cycling, especially because it’s low impact and great for health. But in the event of a crash that causes a traumatic brain injury (TBI), age can be a factor in recovery.
TBIs are among the most common injuries that cyclists experience. Even while helmets can be protective, they are never 100% in preventing head injuries like concussion. For some cyclists who experience a TBI, recovery only requires rest for a few days. For others, it’s a more involved process. The differences in recovery experiences can depend on varying factors, including age.
No matter how old you are, you should be looking out for the symptoms of a TBI, which include:
- Headache
- Light and/or noise sensitivity
- Ringing in ears
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Differences in sleeping (either too much or too little)
- Mood changes (anxiety, depression, irritability, and others)
After a crash, it’s important to see a medical professional who can give you a proper diagnosis. Having the right information about your injury will help you recover in the best way possible, and a clinician will be able to tailor treatment to you.
Related Reading: Can You Sue for a Concussion After a Bike Crash?
Whether you’re young with a TBI or an older adult, getting the proper treatment is important for health and longevity. For young people, a brain injury can have related health effects much later in life, and for those who are older, you may require a different approach to care for the same injury.
Brain and aging
You might think that “age is just a number” and in many cases you may be right. But when it comes to brain health, age is vital.
Not surprisingly, research has found that the rate of mortality related to TBI is much higher in older adults. This may be for a variety of reasons, including severity of injury, rates of dementia, which can worsen after a TBI and lead to a lesser quality of life, as well as other factors.
Like the rest of the body, the brain ages over time. Physical, cellular, and chemical changes occur in the brain, so while you may be approaching older age and feel great mentally, it doesn’t mean that your brain hasn’t aged.
Researchers from Cambridge have found that the age of 66 seems to be a major turning point for brain aging.
“The data suggest that a gradual reorganization of brain networks culminates in the mid-sixties. This is probably related to aging, with further reduced connectivity as white matter starts to degenerate,” says Cambridge neuroscientist Alexa Mousley, who led the study. “This is an age when people face increased risk for a variety of health conditions that can affect the brain, such as hypertension.”
What does this mean for a person with a TBI after a bike crash? Broadly, it means that you should be mindful of your symptoms and how a TBI can affect an aging brain. Like the rest of the body, age invites more health considerations, especially when an injury is present.
If you’ve had a brain injury in your past, it’s also worth keeping in mind as you start thinking more about brain health and aging.
TBI: What it means later in life
The short term symptoms of a brain injury can be concerning, but there are also lasting impacts that people can experience.
“As the brain ages, there is naturally occurring atrophy of cerebral tissue including structures such as the hippocampus, which plays a significant role in memory and cognitive processing,” writes UCLA researcher Grace Greisbach in a Psychiatric Times article. “The hippocampus is frequently impacted by TBI, thus increasing the likelihood of developing memory impairments as one ages.”
That means that not only older adults are at risk for cognitive changes after a TBI.
Studies show that the likelihood of developing degenerative cognitive diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, increases after a TBI.
“One of the most feared long-term consequences of TBIs is dementia, as multiple epidemiologic studies show that experiencing a TBI in early or midlife is associated with an increased risk of dementia in late life. The best data indicate that moderate and severe TBIs increase risk of dementia between 2-and 4-fold,” researchers from the Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine wrote in a JAMA Neurology review.
In mild cases of TBI, such as concussion, the long-term dementia effects are not as well-documented. However, a growing body of research shows that for even mild cases, there are concerns. For example, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which has distinct clinical features, can be common among professional athletes, especially those who play contact sports and sustain mild TBIs more frequently than the average person.
These long term impairments are also being studied in military members who experience repetitive blasts, which can lead to small brain injuries that over time lead to neurological, mental, and physical health concerns.
Following a TBI from a bicycle crash, it can be beneficial to keep a journal of your symptoms and how they evolve. This makes it helpful to talk to your doctor and to work with an attorney on your personal injury lawsuit. It’s also a helpful way for you to track your mental and physical health and seek out the appropriate care when necessary. With TBIs, it may take days for symptoms to arise, and they may also change over time. Having dates and details will help.
TBI treatment for older adults
The age of your brain may dictate the kind of care you require for a TBI.
In 2025, a group of neuro researchers wrote that there are a host of considerations to make when an older patient presents with TBI. “…older adults often have one or more comorbidities and are often on anticoagulants, beta-blockers or central nervous system-influencing drugs that predispose them to falls and worse traumatic intracranial haemorrhages,” they say.
There are also diagnostic challenges. Older patients often have a higher initial Glasgow Coma Score, the method in which clinicians determine the severity of a TBI, than younger patients who experience a similar injury.
Even healthy older brains should consider age as a factor for complications, lasting symptoms, and the onset of other diseases.
Researchers say that because older adults have a lesser physiological reserve, recovery potential is reduced.
“Overall, there is a lack of clear guidance in terms of intensive care or surgical management,” they say.
Older age may mean that your treatment plan is different than it would be if you were in your mid-20s. As research evolves, it’s possible that recovery methods will, too. Older adults should expect that it can take longer to recover, that complications may arise, and that more treatment is necessary after a TBI in a bicycle crash.
No matter your age, working with a legal expert can help recover the costs incurred by a bicycle crash. TBI treatment can be lengthy, expensive, and take a toll on your overall earnings and quality of life. Talk to a staff member at Bay Area Bicycle Law today for a free consultation. We work with you to get the best results.