Cognitive disorder

Cognitive disorders (CDs), also known as neurocognitive disorders (NCDs), are a category of mental health disorders that primarily affect cognitive abilities including learning, memory, perception, and problem-solving. Neurocognitive disorders include delirium, mild neurocognitive disorders, and major neurocognitive disorder (also known as dementia). They are defined by deficits in cognitive ability that are acquired (as opposed to developmental), typically represent decline, and may have an underlying brain pathology.[1] The DSM-5 defines six key domains of cognitive function: executive function, learning and memory, perceptual-motor function, language, complex attention, and social cognition.[2]

Although Alzheimer's disease accounts for the majority of cases of neurocognitive disorders, there are various medical conditions that affect mental functions such as memory, thinking, and the ability to reason, including frontotemporal degeneration, Huntington's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, traumatic brain injury (TBI), Parkinson's disease, prion disease, and dementia/neurocognitive issues due to HIV infection.[3] Neurocognitive disorders are diagnosed as mild and major based on the severity of their symptoms. While anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and psychotic disorders can also have an effect on cognitive and memory functions, they are not classified under neurocognitive disorders because loss of cognitive function is not the primary (causal) symptom.[4][5] Additionally, developmental disorders such as autism typically have a genetic basis and become apparent at birth or early in life as opposed to the acquired nature of neurocognitive disorders.

Causes vary between the different types of disorders but most include damage to the memory portions of the brain.[6][7][8] Treatments depend on how the disorder is caused. Medication and therapies are the most common treatments; however, for some types of disorders such as certain types of amnesia, treatments can suppress the symptoms but there is currently no cure.[7][8]

  1. ^ Rosen, Allyson. "Neurocognitive Disorders of the DSM-5" (PDF). stanford.edu. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  2. ^ American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5®). American Psychiatric Publishing. ISBN 978-0-89042-557-2. OCLC 1027531237.
  3. ^ Simpson JR (2014). "DSM-5 and neurocognitive disorders". J. Am. Acad. Psychiatry Law. 42 (2): 159–64. PMID 24986342.
  4. ^ Guerrero, Anthony (2008). Problem-Based Behavioral Science of Medicine. New York: Springer. pp. 367–79.
  5. ^ Sachdev, Perminder S.; Blacker, Deborah; Blazer, Dan G.; Ganguli, Mary; Jeste, Dilip V.; Paulsen, Jane S.; Petersen, Ronald C. (2014-11-01). "Classifying neurocognitive disorders: the DSM-5 approach". Nature Reviews Neurology. 10 (11): 634–643. doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2014.181. PMID 25266297. S2CID 20635070.
  6. ^ Torpy, Janet (2008). "Delirium". The Journal of the American Medical Association. 300 (19): 2936. doi:10.1001/jama.300.24.2936. PMID 19109124.
  7. ^ a b Torpy, Janet (2010). "Dementia". The Journal of the American Medical Association. 304 (7): 1972. doi:10.1001/jama.304.17.1972. PMID 21045107.
  8. ^ a b Ciccarelli, Saundra K.; White, J. Noland (2014). Psychology. Pearson Education. ISBN 978-0-205-97245-6.{