Dementia warning as drug taken by millions raises risk of memory robbing disorder by up to 40%, study finds

But they cautioned the findings do not prove that taking the drug will cause dementia—merely that it shows an association.

Experts today also suggested that people with chronic pain requiring gabapentin may simply have also been less physically active, a known risk factor for developing dementia, so the medication may be not be to blame.

The drug—manufactured by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer of Covid vaccine fame—acts on gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a chemical messenger in the brain that functions like a brake on over-excited nerve cells.