(UPI) – Aging baby boomers may not be as mentally sharp as their parents were, a new study suggests – raising questions about what the pattern could mean for future dementia rates.
Looking at two decades’ worth of data on U.S. adults, the study found generational differences in tests of cognitive function. That refers to essential mental abilities such as remembering, reasoning and problem-solving.
On average, Americans born in the early- to mid-boomer generation – between 1948 and 1959 – fared a bit worse on those tests than previous generations.
The pattern reversed what had been an improving outlook: Americans born between 1942 and 1947 had generally outperformed those born between 1890 and 1923.
