Some people may have the perception that the older an individual gets, the more their intelligence declines. However, a new study that subjected 70-year-old participants to IQ tests found that this age group is smarter than they used to be.

According to researchers from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, today's 70-year-olds performed much better on IQ tests than previous subjects. However, the study also found that although forgetfulness is still an early symptom, it is becoming increasingly difficult to detect dementia.

The study found that 70 year olds who were tested in 2000 performed better than those that were examined in 1970. Researchers attributed the high performance on these IQ tests to the fact that individuals in today's society are taking better care of their bodies and minds.

"The improvement can partly be explained by better pre- and neonatal care, better nutrition, higher quality of education, better treatment of high blood pressure and other vascular diseases, and not least the higher intellectual requirements of today's society, where access to advanced technology, television and the internet has become part of everyday life," says Simona Sacuiu, resident in psychiatry at Sahlgrenska University Hospital and medical researcher at the Sahlgrenska Academy's Unit of Neuropsychiatric Epidemiology.

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