Therapeutic potential of vitamin E and its derivatives in traumatic brain injury-associated dementia

Traumatic brain injury is one of the most common causes for intervention in neurosurgery. Apart from its acute consequence, it can represent a further burden on individuals as well as society by being associated with significant comorbidity—mainly early-onset dementia. Oxidative stress is one of the crucial mechanisms conferring the damage to nervous tissue, and it is believed it could be, to some extent, influenced by dietary composition, largely by antioxidants contained in the diet. Under stressful conditions, cell-derived reactive oxygen species in the brain can induce the formation of lipid peroxides and the shifting of redox homeostasis. This review discusses the potential of vitamin E as a potent antioxidant and its derived molecules, including vitamin E-based lazaroids, in traumatic brain injury, summarizing the current state of knowledge of its role in TBI-associated dementia.