An increasing number of adults in the United States are experiencing problems with cognitive abilities such as concentration, memory, or decision-making. The increase has primarily occurred among adults aged 18 to 39.
The study is based on data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey, an annual telephone survey conducted by state health departments in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Researchers examined data on brain health between 2013 and 2023. A total of 4.5 million responses were recorded during the study period.
Increased most among young adults
The results, which are presented in Neurology, show that there has been a sharp increase in cognitive impairment problems with concentration or memory, for example during the study period. The increase began in 2016 and has continued to rise since then.
Between 2013 and 2023, cognitive impairment among adults without depression increased from 5.3 percent to 7.4 percent. Among young adults aged 18 to 39, the increase was most pronounced, more than doubling from 5.1 percent in 2013 to 10.2 percent a decade later.
Digitalization may contribute
However, the causes of the increase remain unclear, researchers say. It may partly be due to increased awareness among young adults that makes them more likely to acknowledge brain health issues.
— But I certainly don’t think it is the sole cause at all, says study co-author Ka-Ho Wong, a public health scientist at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, in a press release.
Wong believes that economic stress, job market uncertainty, and increased dependence on digital tools play a major role. As an example, Wong notes that while his parents can remember their home phone numbers from childhood, younger adults “can barely remember our own cell phone numbers half the time”. The results indicate, however, that doctors and public health officials should pay greater attention to brain health among young adults.
— If they report it, we need to address it, says Wong.