COGNITIVE DISORDERS

NATIA BADRIDZE,MD
VARIOUS CAUSES OF COGNITIVE
DISORDERS
• At its basic level, the term cognitive disorder applies to any type of
disorder, disease, or condition that impairs the cognitive functioning
of the person.
• This results in the person's ability to function becoming extremely
difficult or impossible without treatment or without some form of
help.
VARIOUS CAUSES OF COGNITIVE
DISORDERS
Cognition is a term that refers to:
• various mental functions such as learning and memory
• perceiving or identifying and understanding the relationships of
objects in person's environment
• solving problems
• understanding language
• communicating with others
• making decisions
• being able to think about things from different viewpoints.
VARIOUS CAUSES OF COGNITIVE
DISORDERS
• The main neurocognitive disorders listed in the DSM-5 are:
• Delirium: A change in thinking that develops over a short period of time
and includes a loss of awareness of a person's surroundings, situation, and
ability to think clearly.
• Dementia: A progressive decline in a person's thinking that most often
includes memory loss, problems concentrating, and a loss of other thinking
capabilities.
• Amnesia: Memory loss without a significant loss of other thinking abilities.
• Others: Many other conditions that can be due to medical conditions, the
use of drugs, etc.
VARIOUS CAUSES OF COGNITIVE
DISORDERS
• Some of the major causes of cognitive disorders/dysfunction include:
• Genes: Genetic influences appear to play a role in many different
cognitive disorders.
• The dementia is believed to be due to genetic causes.
• Even Alzheimer's disease is believed to have possible genetic causes in
some people that develop the disorder.
• Strokes happen when the blood supply to the brain is disrupted because
of ruptured or blocked veins or arteries in the brain.
• Strokes often produce significant cognitive dysfunction in people.
• Strokes are believed to be the result of a combination of genetic factors
and person's behavior such as diet, lifestyle, certain health conditions,
etc.
VARIOUS CAUSES OF COGNITIVE
DISORDERS
• Head Injury: Head injuries can produce significant cognitive
dysfunction.
• They can be a source of disorders like dementia or amnesia.
• Depending on the severity and extent of the head injury the effects
can be specific to the part of the brain that is injured or can affect
person's overall functioning.
• A person with a traumatic brain injury may only display cognitive
issues associated with the area of the brain that has been affected, or
may display many problems with thinking.
VARIOUS CAUSES OF COGNITIVE
DISORDERS
• Diseases and Infections:
• There are many bacteria, viruses, and disease conditions that can
affect the brain and lead to cognitive dysfunction or a cognitive
disorder.
• Meningitis is an inflammation of the protective covering of the brain
and spinal cord that can be caused by bacteria or a virus.
• It can lead to significant cognitive dysfunction and even death.
VARIOUS CAUSES OF COGNITIVE
DISORDERS
• Diseases and Infections:
• Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease that is believed to happen when
the body's immune system begins to attack myelin sheet.
• Myelin is a part of the cells in the central nervous system (the brain
and spinal cord) that help the cells to signal to one another.
• When the myelin is severely damaged, the cells cannot communicate,
and people begin to have problems with their thinking and
movement.
• People with AIDS often begin to experience cognitive dysfunction.
They may even develop dementia because of the virus associated
with AIDS.
VARIOUS CAUSES OF COGNITIVE
DISORDERS
• Brain Tumors:
• Tumors that happen in the brain or in the coverings of the brain can
affect the area of the brain where they are located.
• This can result in cognitive dysfunction associated with that area of
the brain.
• For example, a tumor that is in a person's speech center can affect
their ability to speak and understand language, but may not affect
other functions.
• Tumors can also affect other areas in the brain if they grow in multiple
areas of the brain .
• Even surgery to remove the tumors may not result in a person
regaining all the cognitive functions that were affected by the tumor.
VARIOUS CAUSES OF COGNITIVE
DISORDERS
• Exposure to Toxic Substances:
• There are many substances that can affect the functioning of the
brain and lead to cognitive disorders or cognitive dysfunction.
• These substances are often referred to as neurotoxins.
• The use of alcohol or drugs like cocaine or heroin can result in
significant cognitive dysfunction or the development of a cognitive
disorder.
• For example, some people who abuse alcohol over time may develop
a form of dementia due to brain damage related to their alcohol
abuse.
 Cognitive Disorders- Treatment
Psychopharmacology:
Namenda (affects NMDA receptors),
Aricept (inhibits acetylcholine breakdown),
Cognex (cholinesterase inhibitor),
 Exelon (a brain-selective acetylcholinesterase inhibitor),
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