Cognitive impairment ranges from mild to severe and can be caused by various conditions. Mild cognitive impairment increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, while serious impairment can result from brain injury or certain diseases. Treatment options vary depending on the cause and severity of impairment.
Cognitive impairment expresses a wide range of mental impairments, from very mild to extremely severe, in adults and children suffering from a variety of conditions. People may be temporarily impaired, have conditions diagnosed as mild cognitive impairment, suffer from diseases that create progressive deterioration, or simply have lower levels of ability to learn or remember (as with mental retardation) that will remain constant throughout their lives. Anyone who is cognitively impaired may lack, to a greater or lesser extent, some “normal” thinking structures such as the ability to remember, learn at a normal pace, adapt behavior to social environments, and process or understand information.
When people discuss brain deficits, they can mean mild cognitive impairment, a real condition that increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. It occurs in the elderly and typically involves conditions such as recurrent pronounced forgetfulness. Everyone forgets occasionally, but this type of impairment extends beyond a pattern of forgetting that is usually easily recognizable. Not everyone who has the condition, which can also have symptoms such as increased depression or anxiety, develops Alzheimer’s, but it should be monitored for when it occurs in the elderly.
Some other forms of relatively mild impairment occur from things like chemotherapy and during periods in life such as menopause. The former has sometimes been referred to as “chemo brain” and the latter as “brain fog.” Mild cognitive deficits related to the body’s response to chemicals or chemical changes in the body can cause some errors in thinking, although mostly people with these conditions remain high functioning. There are also a number of temporary forms of cognitive impairment, most related to traumatic brain injury or conditions such as stroke. Many people make a full recovery when they recover from these conditions.
Very serious impairment can result from things like strokes or other forms of brain injury, or they can arise due to certain diseases or conditions. People with delay lack the ability to perform what would be considered ‘normal’ cognitive acts and need a great deal of support to function. Progressive conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and some childhood genetic disorders gradually rob the brain of its ability to function normally, and over time, the impairment worsens.
Given the variety of potential causes, it is difficult to discuss treatment for cognitive impairment. People with mild to moderate lifelong thinking deficits may respond to interventions, adjustments, and some teaching techniques. Progressive diseases are usually the hardest to deal with because there are few treatments available. For diseases like Alzheimer’s, early treatment with certain medications can help slow the progress of the disease.
Temporary causes of impairment, such as menopause or chemotherapy, mean that most cognitive function recovers over time, and treatment is unnecessary because the impairment is mild. Recovering from things like stroke can restore most brain function, though not always. Those with true ‘mild cognitive impairment’ are usually tested to be certain they do not have hormonal dysfunction such as low thyroid and doctors should carefully evaluate people showing these signs to make sure the condition is not an indication of Alzheimer’s.
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