Cognitive disorders

Abstract

Cognitive disorders refer to a group of conditions that affect a person's ability to think, reason, remember, and communicate. These disorders can have a significant impact on the patient's quality of life as well as his or her ability to perform everyday tasks and interact with others. They also pose a major problem for the patient's family. Cognitive disorders can be temporary, as in delirium, or they can be permanent and progressive, as in dementia. Treatment depends on the particular disorder and its underlying causes.