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Home 2. Health 1. Home 2. Neuroscience * * * --------------------------------------------------------------------- September 24, 2025 The GIST Sharp rise in memory and thinking problems among U.S. adults, study finds by American Academy of Neurology edited by Sadie Harley, reviewed by Robert Egan [sadie] Sadie Harley scientific editor Meet our editorial team Behind our editorial process [Robert] Robert Egan associate editor Meet our editorial team Behind our editorial process Editors' notes This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: fact-checked peer-reviewed publication trusted source proofread concentrating Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain A growing number of U.S. adults--particularly those under 40--are reporting serious challenges with memory, concentration and decision-making, according to a new study published in Neurology. [INS::INS] "Challenges with memory and thinking have emerged as a leading health issue reported by U.S. adults," said study author Adam de Havenon, MD, MS, of Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. "Our study shows that these difficulties may be becoming more widespread, especially among younger adults, and that social and structural factors likely play a key role." Researchers analyzed data from over 4.5 million survey responses from adults collected annually between 2013 and 2023. Participants were asked, "Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition, do you have serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions?" Those who answered "yes" were classified as having a cognitive disability. Researchers excluded responses from people who reported depression, along with data from the year 2020 due to the unique impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The rate of cognitive disability in the U.S. rose from 5.3% in 2013 to 7.4% in 2023, with the first increase appearing in 2016. The largest increase was among adults aged under 40. For this group, the rate nearly doubled--climbing from 5.1% to 9.7%. In contrast, rates among those age 70 and older declined slightly, from 7.3% in 2013 to 6.6% over the same period. While the survey is not a measure of cognitive impairment, de Havenon noted the growing prevalence of self-reported cognitive disability in younger adults reflects important public health trends. [INS::INS] Researchers found adults with household incomes below $35,000 consistently reported the highest rates--rising from 8.8% to 12.6% over the study period. By contrast, those with incomes over $75,000 had substantially lower rates, increasing only from 1.8% to 3.9%. For education, rates among adults without a high school diploma rose from 11.1% to 14.3% while rates among college graduates rose from 2.1% to 3.6% over the study period. While most of the respondents were white, rates rose across nearly all racial and ethnic groups: * American Indian and Alaska Native adults: highest prevalence, from 7.5% to 11.2% * Hispanic adults: from 6.8% to 9.9% * Black adults: from 7.3% to 8.2% * White adults: from 4.5% to 6.3% * Asian adults: from 3.9% to 4.8% "These findings suggest we're seeing the steepest increases in memory and thinking problems among people who already face structural disadvantages," de Havenon said. "We need to better understand and address the underlying social and economic factors that may be driving this trend." "More research is also needed to understand what's driving the large increase in rates among younger adults, given the potential long-term implications for health, workforce productivity and health care systems," de Havenon continued. "It could reflect actual changes in brain health, better awareness and willingness to report problems, or other health and social factors. But regardless of possible causes, the rise is real--and it's especially pronounced in people under 40." A limitation of the study was that data was gathered through telephone surveys and people providing responses may not have recalled all information accurately. Another limitation was the broad definition of disability. More information: Neurology (2025). Journal information: Neurology Provided by American Academy of Neurology Citation: Sharp rise in memory and thinking problems among U.S. adults, study finds (2025, September 24) retrieved 25 September 2025 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/ 2025-09-sharp-memory-problems-adults.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. 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Higher rates were observed in groups with lower income, less education, and among American Indian, Alaska Native, and Hispanic adults. Social and structural factors are likely contributors to these trends. This summary was automatically generated using LLM. Full disclaimer Let us know if there is a problem with our content Use this form if you have come across a typo, inaccuracy or would like to send an edit request for the content on this page. For general inquiries, please use our contact form. For general feedback, use the public comments section below (please adhere to guidelines). Please select the most appropriate category to facilitate processing of your request [-- please select one -- ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Your message to the editors [ ] Your email (optional, only if you'd like a response) [ ] Send Feedback Thank you for taking time to provide your feedback to the editors. Your feedback is important to us. 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