A recent study led by researchers at Brown University has added to evidence of an association between shingles vaccination and a reduced risk of dementia diagnoses among older adults.

The findings were published in The Annals of Internal Medicine.

Researchers evaluated electronic health records and Medicare claims involving more than 509,926 U.S. adults ages 66 and older who had been admitted to skilled nursing facilities.

The analysis followed outcomes over a four year period.

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Adults who received at least one dose of the recombinant shingles vaccine, commercially known as Shingrix, experienced a 24% relative reduction in dementia risk compared with people who did not receive the shot, researchers found.

However, the researchers stressed that the results demonstrate an association.

They do not prove that the vaccine directly prevents dementia or acts as a treatment for cognitive decline.

Dr. Ajeet Sodhi, a clinical neurologist and neuro interventionalist in Orlando, Florida, described the finding as “remarkable.”

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At the same time, he said it builds upon a growing collection of scientific literature rather than standing alone.

“This is maybe the third or fourth study, and they all came to the same conclusion,” Sodhi, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.

“It seems that by giving patients the shingles vaccine called Shingrix, in the next couple of years, we see a clinically significant decline in the development of dementia.”

Researchers have proposed several possible explanations for the association, including the role of vaccination in preventing shingles and potential complications from the illness.

The virus has also been linked to vascular events such as stroke, which can contribute to vascular dementia.

Sodhi said recent medical literature also suggests broader cardiovascular benefits connected with shingles vaccination.

However, those findings also do not establish that Shingrix is a direct dementia treatment.

“In addition to the study that we're talking about today, there was a study published just this week that showed the shingles vaccine results in a clinically significant reduction in the incidence of both cardiovascular disease and cerebrovascular disease,” he told Fox News Digital.

The neurologist emphasized the distinction between a strong correlation and proof that a vaccine treats cognitive decline. “It's not at this time considered a treatment,” he noted.

Shingles is caused by the varicella zoster virus, which is also responsible for chickenpox, according to Mayo Clinic.

After someone recovers from chickenpox, the virus can remain dormant in nerve tissue near the brain and spinal cord.

The virus can reactivate decades later, causing a painful rash with fluid filled blisters.

The primary purpose of Shingrix is to prevent shingles reactivation and the severe nerve pain and rash associated with it.

Shingles can cause serious complications, including a debilitating form of nerve pain that continues after the rash has cleared, according to Cleveland Clinic.

The vaccine is approved to prevent shingles and related complications, not to prevent or treat dementia.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends two doses of Shingrix for adults 50 and older. It also recommends the vaccine for adults 19 and older who are or will be immunocompromised.

The study received funding from GSK, the maker of Shingrix. The study authors stated that the company had no role in its design, analysis or publication.

For people concerned about memory loss or a family medical history of dementia, experts recommend consulting a doctor early.

Sodhi stressed that timely assessment can be important when addressing cognitive health concerns.

“The common theme in all of this is the sooner you seek evaluation, the better it is for the treatment,” Sodhi advised.

“The treatment is more likely to work the earlier you are in the onset of the disease.”