New analysis shows one in two people in the U.S. live with neurological conditions

One in two people in the United States, just over half of the population, is affected by a neurological disease or disorder, according to a new systematic analysis by the American Academy of Neurology and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation published on November 24, 2025, in the journal JAMA Neurology. The nervous system is the body's command center, directing how you move, think and feel. It includes the brain, spinal cord and nerves.

Researchers analyzed data from the Global Burden of Disease 2021 study, led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. It is the largest and most comprehensive effort to quantify health loss across places and over time, with more than 17,000 collaborators from 167 countries and territories around the world.

Using that study, researchers evaluated disability and mortality rates for 36 medical conditions that impact nervous system health across the U.S. population. In this analysis, they found over 180 million Americans, or 54% of the population, had at least one of these conditions.

"This new analysis showing one in two people in the U.S. is affected by a neurological disease or disorder is an urgent call to action," said American Academy of Neurology President Natalia S. Rost, MD, MPH, FAAN, FAHA. "It emphasizes the importance of accelerating research and discovery to achieve scientific breakthroughs in preventing and treating neurological diseases and disorders. With these efforts, led by neurologists and neuroscientists, the experts in brain health, we can improve brain health for all."

The 36 medical conditions included in the systematic analysis cover the lifespan, from birth defects and neurodevelopmental disorders like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder to migraine, which can begin in teen years and often peak in a person's 30s, to Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, which can occur later in life.

Researchers found the most prevalent conditions were tension-type headache affecting 122 million Americans, migraine affecting 58 million and diabetic neuropathy affecting 17 million.

"Disorders of the nervous system are highly prevalent and cause disability for millions of Americans," said author John P. Ney, MD, MPH, FAAN, of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. "Healthy brain, spinal cord and nerve function allows for greater participation in employment, relationships and improved quality of life. Increasing access to neurological and disability care could have substantial benefits for people across the United States."

The prevalence of conditions affecting the nervous system was higher in the U.S. population than in the global population, which was 43%. This is largely driven by tension-type headaches, which are very common but carry a lower burden of disability compared to many other neurological conditions. The authors note while these 36 neurological diseases and disorders are widespread, the U.S. performs relatively well in preventing deaths and long-term disability from these conditions. For example, the stroke rate is higher in the U.S. than in some other world regions, but the death rate is comparatively low.

"Neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders account for a disproportionate share of disability, illness and death across the United States," said author Jaimie Steinmetz, PhD, MSc, of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle. "Our analysis, the most comprehensive assessment of neurological burden in the U.S. to date, highlights the importance of investing in neurological health, including prevention, early detection and equitable neurological care."

Researchers looked at disability-adjusted life-years, a metric that captures total health loss in the population. It accounts for the frequency and severity of disease and the number of years of life lost due to early death. Conditions with the greatest collective health loss were stroke with 3.9 million disability-adjusted life-years, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias with 3.3 million, diabetic neuropathy with 2.2 million and migraine with 2.1 million disability-adjusted life-years.

After adjusting for changes in the age composition of the U.S. population, researchers found that the prevalence rate of neurological diseases and disorders has remained stable over time, with only a 0.2% decrease between 1990 and 2021. Over the same period, deaths from neurological diseases and disorders declined by 15%, meaning more people are living longer with these conditions. As a result, the number of years lived with disability increased by 10%.

"Our analysis found that total disability-adjusted life-years from neurological diseases and disorders in the U.S. increased by 55% between 1990 and 2021," said Ney. "However, when accounting for the effects of an aging population, the increase was much smaller. This pattern shows that much of the rise in neurological disease burden is linked to an older U.S. population that is more vulnerable to conditions affecting the nervous system."

A limitation of the systematic analysis was that some diseases and disorders that affect multiple systems of the body, such as HIV, were excluded because the neurological component could not be easily isolated.

The systematic analysis was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.