A new study shows self-reported memory and thinking problems are rising fastest among younger U.S. adults, with social and economic factors playing a major role.
A new nationwide study has found that more U.S. adults, especially those under the age of 40, are experiencing significant problems with memory, focus, and decision-making. The findings were published in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
“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.”
A Decade of Data
To reach these conclusions, researchers examined more than 4.5 million survey responses collected each year 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?” Anyone who answered “yes” was considered to have a cognitive disability. The analysis excluded individuals who reported depression and also left out data from 2020, since the COVID-19 pandemic created unusual conditions.
Over the ten-year period, the overall prevalence of cognitive disability in the United States rose from 5.3% in 2013 to 7.4% in 2023, with the first noticeable increase appearing in 2016. Younger adults saw the sharpest change: those under 40 nearly doubled in rate, climbing from 5.1% to 9.7%. Meanwhile, older adults experienced a slight decline. Among people aged 70 and above, prevalence fell from 7.3% in 2013 to 6.6% in 2023.
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.
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.
Racial and Ethnic Patterns
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.
Reference: “Rising Cognitive Disability as a Public Health Concern Among US AdultsTrends From the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2013–2023” by Ka-Ho Wong, Christopher D. Anderson, Cecilia Peterson, Erin Bouldin, Lauren Littig, Neeharika Krothapalli, Trieste Francis, Yvonne Kim, Giselle Cucufate, Jonathan Rosand, Kevin Navin Sheth and Adam de Havenon, 24 September 2025, Neurology.
DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000214226
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28 Comments
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Has it occurred to anyone that the legalization of marijuana might’ve had a THING to do with this?
I was going to raise the same question. Additionally, there is greater social acceptance of recreational drugs, leading to greater use. Recent estimates place fentanyl overdose deaths at approximately 100,000 annually. What happens to those who take borderline sub-lethal doses?
COVID.
Thanks, Pfizer.
Rising carbon dioxide levels.
Despite the obvious/stated limitations of the study, it supports what this now eighty-one year old lay American male with family histories of food allergies and dementia has personally been writing of for twenty years this month. In October of 2005 I first wrote the US FDA (with replies) of my early lay findings of connections between food allergies, added MSG, chronic diseases and obesity. More specifically, practically harmless brief (about six to twelve hours) individual sub-acute non-IgE-mediated food allergy reactions (https://www.foodallergy.org/fare-blog/why-we-need-stop-referring-ige-mediated-allergies-true-food-allergies), aggravated (extended and/or intensified, or not) with toxic FDA approved food additives, artificially cultured “free” (can cross the blood-brain barrier) MSG in particular (since 1980) to become chronic and potentially deadly dangerous long-term (months to decades, many individual variables). The fact of the matter is that we now have two and a half generations (not years, not decades) of young (compared to me) American adults who’ve been ingesting added MSG all of their young lives. As to the socioeconomic factors, lower income minority groups are more likely to ingest illegally (FFDCA) commercially adulterated fast foods than their higher income majority peers. For additional confirmation, researchers could try including typical school lunches and school shootings (https://k12ssdb.org/) in the demographics.
I think you are also missing a third factor, health paranoia stemming from more general social trends as espoused by JFK jr. The results of this study are based on self report which in the case of cognitive function depends more on contextual factors such as expectation than on actual brain function. There may be no real decline in cognitive function over time, but just like increased crime rates and IMF conspiracies, if you expect to find them you will see signs, regardless of reality.
Good points, Claudius. However, as I try to explain, document in some detail and allude to in a brief overview and summary of my lay findings on the “About” page of my ad-free video channel (https://odysee.com/@charlesgshaver:d?view=about), there are sound reasons to question the cognitive ability and mental health of most Americans in 2025, especially every American born since 1980 (forty-four years of age and younger). Mainstream medicine, public officials, big food and big pharma are the most likely spreaders of health paranoia, to maintain high levels of undeserved profits. As to RFK, Jr.; ‘close-but-no-cigar.’ I’ve tried to contact him several times to share what I know, experience-based, with no replies.
“Participants were asked: “Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition, do you have serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions?” Anyone who answered “yes” was considered to have a cognitive disability.” What is it is transitory? This study cannot tell.
I would bet at least some of this effect is due to social media, which reduces attention span, and surely lowers cognitive function.
Although many factors may be a cause, or partially to blame, it doesn’t surprise me at all that so many people, including scientist, are ignoring a huge reality that is also a cause of brain rot: Cannabis!! Nobody wants to come to terms with that. They enjoy it and aren’t willing to let it go!
Doesn’t explain the economic correlation or the hippies over 70
I agree, and while Cannibis has some contribution, I feel that it’s far less influential than other “addictions.” Phones, internet, social media… these are all extremely significant factors.
It is suggestive that the economic status may be the result of liking highs more than money.
I couldn’t agree more with your last statement, though I think it would be very significant. People are glued to their phones and social media is absolutely a factor. I even find myself having issues because of this, though I’ve tamped down the use of my phone and don’t use social media that much if at all. There’s just too much information, much of it selling something, that the distraction levels are very significant. I’d be surprised if there wasn’t some study that makes this correlation.
If you use your own brain, you get smarter – if not, well… – you always have your phone to tell you all you need to know.
Covid has long term cognitive effects, so does pot. Both lower IQ and age the brain. We’re doomed.
For those who blame Pfizer, read the article again; and likewise those who think it’s covid wot dunnit.
The results show one thing clearly; those with annual incomes of $35 000 or less are those most affected. Poverty breeds stress; poverty ensures bad diets; poverty breeds inadequate health-care; poverty breeds violence; poverty breeds stupidity although few politicians live in poverty. The USA is past master at breeding poverty and not resolving it socially.
It’s because of information overload. High knowledge games such as chess and go players when vs a computer has same issues. Needing 20 to 30 minutes of break time to reset.
People cramming for exams or test can have same effect.
1920 highschool education was fine.
1960 highschool education was fine.
2000 highschool education below average
2025 college degree or master’s degree, barely meets standards
Brain fog is just part of using the old noggin beyond its intended use.
Just relax and enjoy life far less brain fog
Agree. I took up beekeeping and gardening to relax.
My theory: This is because no one can afford allergy pills. It explains everything, people who make over 75k can afford them, and people over 70 get them for free through their medicare OTC program.
The only time I ever experience this is when I run out of allergy pills.
Surely someone else has noticed that allergy pills have become insanely expensive for no apparent reason?
What “allergy pills,” Acheron, if you don’t mind?
My allergy pills are like ten cents each (if not less) over the counter.
It is the educational system in the US. Younger generations are increasingly excluded from the rigorous training and critical thinking from math, science, technology. The teaching establishment does not have the skills to provide, starting in the early 90s. Hence the correlation of memory and learning problems with adults under 40. Sad situation. AI teaching could solve this problem.
No one is mentioning the fact that folks making $75k or more, that number more than doubled from 1.8% to 3.9%. They fooled you by putting “Only” in there right before the numbers. We have to do better. I see this kind of skewing of the data way too often. This glossing over of significant data, as if it were completely unimportant. The fact that people making $75k or more ate having cognitive decline could be related to the fact that they have half the buying power they would have had 20 years ago. Or it could all be environmental. Micro-plastics, mercury poisoning, radioactive elements suddenly showing up in water supplies. Fluorosalicylic acid being purposely added to our water like it’s the same thing as fluoride. Pick one of these or any one of thousands of other reasons that could be contributing to this sort of thing. Narrow minded scientists are more dangerous than any terrorist organization out there.
Declines in the ability to write coherent sentences are a product of educators failing to promote this need, as computational systems fill in the blanks where seemingly needed. The actual act of putting something down on paper promotes a species of thinking which is absent when relying on a computer. Not to mention that the decline in ability to actually interact with other humans, and to learn how to adjust one’s self to the necessity of finding out what is required to properly interact by sensing what another person’s psychological state needs in order to be comfortable is a skill that requires development. Learning to memorize, such as the multiplication tables, or even simple poetic lines, facilitates long-term processes which lessens so-called brain fog. Learning to pay attention when one is a child, to learn proper awareness, is paramount.
Self reported data is notoriously unreliable.
“These findings suggest we’re seeing the steepest increases in memory and thinking problems among people who already face structural disadvantages,” < The rate for black people increased 12.4% (7.3 to 8.2%) The rate for white people increased 40% (4.5 to 6.3%). According to the writer, whites must face much higher structural disadvantages than blacks.