How common are brain diseases?

How common are brain diseases?

Brain diseases affect many people, but the occurrence of individual diseases varies widely. For example, in the U.S.:

• Alzheimer’s disease affects more than 6 million people.
• Autism spectrum disorder occurs in about 1 in 44 children.
• Brain tumors and other nervous system cancers are relatively rare, accounting for 1.3% of all cancers.
• Epilepsy impacts 1.2% of the population, including 3 million adults and 470,000 children.
• Meningitis is rare due to widespread use of the meningitis vaccine. In 2019, only 371 cases were reported.
• Mental illness is very common, affecting 1 in 5 adults.
• Multiple sclerosis is a condition nearly 1 million people are living with.
• Strokes occur in nearly 800,000 people each year.
• Traumatic brain injuries caused over 220,000 hospitalizations in 2018.