Baby Boomers Show Concerning Decline In Cognitive Function

[meatbag]

Baby boomers show concerning decline in cognitive functioning

"In a reversal of trends, American baby boomers scored lower on a test of cognitive functioning than did members of previous generations, according to a new nationwide study.

Findings showed that average cognition scores of adults aged 50 and older increased from generation to generation, beginning with the greatest generation (born 1890-1923) and peaking among war babies (born 1942-1947).

Scores began to decline in the early baby boomers (born 1948-1953) and decreased further in the mid baby boomers (born 1954-1959).

While the prevalence of dementia has declined recently in the United States, these results suggest those trends may reverse in the coming decades, according to study author Hui Zheng, professor of sociology at The Ohio State University.

“It is shocking to see this decline in cognitive functioning among baby boomers after generations of increases in test scores,” Zheng said."

 

[ecstatichamster]

When does age-related cognitive decline begin? - ScienceDirect

Cross-sectional comparisons have consistently revealed that increased age is associated with lower levels of cognitive performance, even in the range from 18 to 60 years of age. However, the validity of cross-sectional comparisons of cognitive functioning in young and middle-aged adults has been questioned because of the discrepant age trends found in longitudinal and cross-sectional analyses. The results of the current project suggest that a major factor contributing to the discrepancy is the masking of age-related declines in longitudinal comparisons by large positive effects associated with prior test experience. Results from three methods of estimating retest effects in this project, together with results from studies comparing non-human animals raised in constant environments and from studies examining neurobiological variables not susceptible to retest effects, converge on a conclusion that some aspects of age-related cognitive decline begin in healthy educated adults when they are in their 20s and 30s.

 

[animalcule]

I first noticed cognitive decline when I was 19 and my memory started degrading. I’m now 30 and I struggle with information retention and recall. I’ve dealt with lifelong high anxiety and depression, likely brought about by a very stressful childhood and being raised by two mentally ill parents - both anxious and depressed, one definitely codependent and prone to rages, the other very withdrawn, withholding and prone to gaslighting for no apparent reason. I was very isolated and highly stressed, and this tanked my cognitive function from an early age. My anxiety, depression and isolation only got worse with age, as did my mind.

We know that depression rates are rising. We know people are engaged in more stressful work/environment. Traditional family and religion is beginning to break down. We are bombarded with reasons to be anxious 24/7, and most can do nothing to solve any of the problems shoved in their face by the media. Divorce is higher. Loneliness is rising. “Community,” if you live most cities is just a manipulative buzzword, as people move so often their isn’t the same lifelong base of people around you, and the customs and ties that once held people together are gone, replaced with forced acceptance of a certain set of rules and ideas that previously most “communities” would have rejected.

Add to the poor quality food. Toxic living environments (mold, EMF, etc) and poisoned “clean” water supply.

Add to that the fact that most boomers are getting to a point where they can no longer meaningfully contribute to society bc technology has advanced too fast, or because their labor is just not needed. Not only does this have an emotional affect on a person, it changes the way old people fill their days. If you don’t do meaningful work, your mind degrades.

We live in a literally dementing society. These results don’t surprise me at all.

 

[not_James_Bond]

@animalcule What a searingly and truthful post this is, thank you.

 

[animalcule]

@animalcule What a searingly and truthful post this is, thank you.

Thanks! I forgot to add pharmaceuticals: drugging people for societally created problems, and vaccinating them from birth, often for diseases that are mild and used to have herd immunity.