Cognitive Disorders
Cognitive Disorders
As life expectancy increases, the diagnosis of cognitive disorders has become more and more common. Although these disorders are not unique to adults, they are particularly common among this population. Dementia, which is a group of disorders characterized by a decrease in cognitive abilities, causes a significant impairment in the daily functioning of the individual. The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer's disease, but there are other causes that can cause cognitive disorders.
Usually, the symptoms are recognized by the environment - spouses, children, friends, etc. - before the patient himself notices the changes.
Symptoms may include:
You forgot names and places
Difficulty finding words
Difficulties in organizing
Simple action planning
Difficulties in writing and reading
Additional symptoms
As symptoms may be subtle at first, it is important to be vigilant and encourage the patient to seek medical advice if necessary.
Early treatment can provide significant benefits and make it easier to deal with the disorder.
In Alzheimer's disease, symptoms tend to worsen over time, but the rate at which this occurs is not uniform. Behavioral changes and the appearance of psychotic symptoms often occur, which can precede the changes in memory and thinking processes. Among the psychotic symptoms can be false thoughts, excessive suspicion, hallucinations of various types and in some cases even violent behavior.
Besides Alzheimer's disease, dementia may be caused by a variety of other reasons, such as: cardiovascular diseases, Parkinson's disease, lack of certain vitamins (mainly vitamin B12), thyroid problems or other endocrine disorders, head injuries, and other conditions.
In these situations, if the disorders are diagnosed and treated in time, they may be reversible. The basic ways of treating dementia include targeting the cognitive symptoms and other symptoms. Drug treatment may be possible in both cases, but it is especially important to regulate the psychotic and behavioral symptoms to avoid the need to house the patients in therapeutic institutions or nursing homes with full supervision.
A central part of the treatment is integration and cooperation with the patient's family and the therapists. There is a high need for additional psychosocial support and intervention. The role of the psychiatrist is necessary to coordinate and adjust all treatments, with the aim of ensuring the well-being and health of the patients.
An important part of the treatment of cognitive disorders is full integration and cooperation of the family and caregivers. There is great importance in additional psychosocial support and intervention, with the psychiatrist playing a central role in coordinating and adjusting all treatments.
In addition to dementia, another example of cognitive impairment is hallucinations. This is a new disorder that can appear unexpectedly, and its main features include confusion, low level of awareness, abnormalities in perception (hallucinations) and sleep disturbances. These symptoms tend to change during the day, with a tendency to worsen at night.
Cognitive disorders often appear in combination with other health conditions, which require immediate and targeted diagnosis and treatment. While they are more common in the older population, they can occur at any age. Factors that can lead to these disorders include the use of medications, alcohol consumption, drug abuse, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, liver and kidney diseases, and many other medical conditions that usually affect older adults more. All of these factors are considered serious and can be life-threatening if they do not receive adequate treatment.
