The study was led by a team of researchers headed by neuroscientist Ka Ho Wong from the University of Utah, based on survey data from 4.5 million people. It revealed that the percentage of American adults reporting severe cognitive difficulties decreased from 5.3% in 2013 to 7.4% in 2023, according to ‘Science Alert.’
The results surprised the age group of 18 to 39 years, where the percentage rose from 5.1% to 9.7% over the same decade, nearly doubling, with cases excluded to avoid inflating the statistics.
In an unexpected development, the group over 70 years old did not experience a similar increase; instead, their percentage slightly decreased from 7.3% to 6.6% over the past ten years, which was described as ‘unusual’ compared to the traditional prevalence of cognitive decline among the elderly.
The study highlighted the role of socioeconomic factors, as groups with lower income (less than $35,000 annually) and lower educational levels recorded increases above the general average. This reinforces the hypothesis that these factors are central to the phenomenon.
Additionally, the highest percentages were among Native Americans and Alaska Natives, who already face structural gaps in access to health and education services.
