Cognitive impairment

Cognitive impairment
Other namesCognitive deficit
SpecialtyPsychiatry

Cognitive impairment is an inclusive term to describe any characteristic that acts as a barrier to the cognition process or different areas of cognition.[1] Cognition, also known as cognitive function, refers to the mental processes of how a person gains knowledge, uses existing knowledge, and understands things that are happening around them using their thoughts and senses.[2] Cognitive impairment can be in different domains or aspects of a person's cognitive function including memory, attention span, planning, reasoning, decision-making, language (comprehension, writing, speech), executive functioning, and visuospatial functioning. The term cognitive impairment covers many different diseases and conditions and may also be symptom or manifestation of a different underlying condition. Examples include impairments in overall intelligence (as with intellectual disabilities), specific and restricted impairments in cognitive abilities (such as in learning disorders like dyslexia), neuropsychological impairments (such as in attention, working memory or executive function), or it may describe drug-induced impairment in cognition and memory (such as that seen with alcohol, glucocorticoids,[3] and the benzodiazepines.[4]). Cognitive impairments may be short-term, progressive (gets worse over time), or permanent.[2]

There are different approaches to assessing or diagnosing a cognitive impairment including neuropsychological testing using various different tests that consider the different domains of cognition. Examples of shorter assessment clinical tools include the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA).[5] There are many different syndromes and pathologies that cause cognitive impairment including dementia, mild neurocognitive disorder, and Alzheimer's disease.[5]

  1. ^ Coren, Stanley; Lawrence M. Ward; James T. Enns (1999). Sensation and Perception. Harcourt Brace. p. 9. ISBN 0-470-00226-3.
  2. ^ a b Dhakal, Aayush; Bobrin, Bradford D. (2023), "Cognitive Deficits", StatPearls, Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing, PMID 32644478, retrieved 2023-04-12
  3. ^ Belanoff, Joseph K.; Gross, Kristin; Yager, Alison; Schatzberg, Alan F. (2001). "Corticosteroids and cognition". J Psychiatr Res. 35 (3): 127–145. doi:10.1016/s0022-3956(01)00018-8. PMID 11461709.
  4. ^ Kalachnik, JE.; Hanzel, TE.; Sevenich, R.; Harder, SR. (Sep 2002). "Benzodiazepine behavioral side effects: review and implications for individuals with mental retardation". Am J Ment Retard. 107 (5): 376–410. doi:10.1352/0895-8017(2002)107<0376:BBSERA>2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0895-8017. PMID 12186578.
  5. ^ a b Taylor-Rowan, Martin; Kraia, Olga; Kolliopoulou, Christina; Noel-Storr, Anna H.; Alharthi, Ahmed A.; Cross, Amanda J.; Stewart, Carrie; Myint, Phyo K.; McCleery, Jenny; Quinn, Terry J. (2022-08-22). "Anticholinergic burden for prediction of cognitive decline or neuropsychiatric symptoms in older adults with mild cognitive impairment or dementia". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2022 (8): CD015196. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD015196.pub2. ISSN 1469-493X. PMC 9394684. PMID 35994403.