Cognitive disorders: what are they and what are their types

The human mind can fail in different ways, and those alterations that affect cognition are especially serious.

This article will explain what a cognitive disorder is, which refers to an impairment of our normal brain function. We will also see a section to understand what cognitive functions are, we will understand why they are so important when explaining the subject of the article and we will add a classification of the main types of disorders cognitive

• Related article: "The 15 most common neurological disorders"

What is a cognitive disorder?

A cognitive disorder is a type of mental disorder that centrally affects our cognitive abilities, which enable us to carry out the tasks we need to perform in our day to day. It is an alteration that affects the mind at different levels related to anticipation, planning and the search for solutions to problems.

Cognitive mental disorder is considered to be a psychological disorder caused by some problem in the normal functioning of basic cognitive functions. Alterations in these basic cognitive functions generate problems in other more complex cognitive functions, as we will see below.

Cognitive functions

To better understand the alterations or dysfunctions that occur in cognitive disorder, it is appropriate to recognize the cognitive functions that may be involved. These are all are those mental processes that enable us to perform tasks.

Next we are going to review the main basic brain functions and the main complex brain functions that are involved in a cognitive disorder.

Basic or primary cognitive functions

For our survival we have had to learn to perceive, select, process, manage and work with the relevant information. The basic functions allow us

1. Attention

This function allows the person to focus on relevant information in a specific context or problem to be solved. The stimuli that are produced around us are infinite, and processing all available information is impossible and useless.

2. Perception

It is through our senses that information reaches us. Perception is the function that works on internal and external stimuli, that is, the one that channels and makes us aware of all kinds of information that is produced in our body and in our environment.

3. Memory

This function allows you to organize the information that has been processed and learned. There are many types of memory, but we can say in general that memory sorts, archives and retrieves all kinds of data so that we can work with it.

• You may be interested: "Types of memory: how does the human brain store memories?"

4. Reasoning

It is the logical responsible function, with implications in executive functions as important as the ability to solve problems or language

Complex or higher cognitive functions

Other more complex functions derive from the previous basic functions. relate different areas of the brain to achieve it. Next we see the most remarkable ones.

1. Orientation

Orientation has different axes of reference, since it is a cognitive function that takes into account space, time, the relationship with oneself and the relationship with others.

2. Language

Language is the competence that allows an individual interpret logical and symbolic systems.

3. Praxical skills

They are those capacities related to organization, planning and efficient execution. This neurological process is what allows physical actions of all kinds, like knowing how to dress or draw.

4. Executive functions

In case of having impaired executive functions there are great disturbances in people's intentionality, since this function supervises all cognitive functions of lower levels like the previous ones.

• Related article: "The 11 executive functions of the human brain"

5. Problem solving ability

In reality it is a set of intelligences or capacities that allow to solve complex problems of all kinds.

Types of cognitive disorders

Cognitive functions are essential to be able to lead a life without dysfunctionalities when it comes to performing day-to-day tasks.

Thus, after seeing the main primary and secondary cognitive functions, it will be much easier for us to understand the different types of cognitive disorder that we are going to present below.

1. Direct cognitive disorders

We classify as direct cognitive disorders those that by their nature have a direct impact on the cognitive functions that we have previously explained.

Amnesia

Amnesia is a term that refers to the partial or complete loss of memory. It affects this basic brain function very specifically, preventing the individual from retrieving or retaining information that he had already stored in his brain.

These information management processes occur through complex brain mechanisms such as encoding, storage and evocation.

• You may be interested: "The different types of amnesia (and their characteristics)"

Dementia

When cognitive deficits occur as in dementia, any of the brain functions can be affected. Highlight the impact of dementia in memory, language, attention, control or inhibition of behavior, praxis and executive functions or problem solving ability.

Delirium or acute confusional syndrome

These are all those organic disorders, that is, caused by a loss or abnormality of the structure, the function of the brain tissue, or both affectations at the same time.

In this affectation, alterations can occur at the level of consciousness, and complex cognitive functions it is characterized by being acute and with very global affectations, but it is also reversible.

For example, if delirium occurs due to a brain tumor that presses the brain tissue and this is successfully extracted without damaging the structure, the person returns to their normal state.

2. Anxiety disorders

In anxiety disorders there is a fear of a future threat. Our mind gives an emotional alteration as an anticipatory response, which can even lead to physical symptoms like tachycardia or tremors.

The behaviors are generally avoidant, and can occur in a continuous or episodic way. There is a good variety of them affecting our normal cognitive activity. Next we will see the most representative ones.

Phobias

The phobia It is a psychological disorder characterized by a very intense and unjustified fear of animals, objects or specific situations.

They are a type of disorder that can give rise to experiences of extreme anxiety or panic to the person who suffers from it. There are different of them, and depending on what the object of fear is, the person's life may be more or less affected.

For example, people with social phobia can seriously affect their normal way of functioning in social situations such as parties or events.

Generalized anxiety disorder

In this type of disorder, generalized worry and anxiety about any daily event is very common. The people who suffer it are constantly worried about things going wrong.

Restlessness, difficulty concentrating, muscle tension, sleep disorders, irritability and fatigue are common manifestations that are associated with this disorder. Like other cognitive disorders, cognitive functions are dependent on the mental state of the sufferer.

Post-traumatic stress disorder

Extreme events that have been experienced can trigger post-traumatic stress. A war, a rape, a hurricane, an attack or a serious accident on the road can give rise to this type of mental disorder.

This disorder makes the person feel stressed and afraid of reliving what happened to them. Memories of the experience and difficulty sleeping appear, feelings of loneliness and guilt, worry or sadness, and even outbursts of anger, affecting the individual but also those around him.

4. Psychotic disorders

This type of disorder causes abnormal ideas and perceptions, causing the person to lose contact with reality. Delusions and hallucinations are the main symptoms.

Delusions are nothing more than false beliefs that maximize their impact on personal life, because example that the neighborhood is against you or that someone in the newspaper sends you messages secrets. Hallucinations are false perceptions of reality, it seems to the person that he hears, feels or sees something that does not exist.

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a type of psychotic disorder characterized by loss of judgment of reality accompanied by a great disorganization of the personality.

Positive symptoms and negative symptoms appear in schizophrenia. The former include delusions, hallucinations and thought disorders, while negative ones affect lack of motivation, emotion or alteration of it, and speech difficulties.

In addition, problems of decreased neurocognitive ability appear in this cognitive disorder. Basic functions such as memory, attention, problem solving or social control are seriously affected.

• Related article: "What is schizophrenia? Symptoms and Treatments"

Delusional disorders or paranoid psychosis

This psychotic disorder is characterized by delusions that the person has. These are not as strange as in other disorders if there is no other notable psychopathology.

People who suffer from it do not meet the criteria for schizophrenia and lack hallucinations, or at least notoriously, since some related to the theme of delirium may appear.

Who suffers from delusional disorder enjoys a sufficiently functional life, only shows strange behavior on topics directly related to the delusional idea. Unfortunately, the patient's life can be increasingly affected by the weight and influence that his beliefs have on other parts of his mental life.

3. Mood disorders

These cognitive disorders greatly affect the person who suffers from not being able to carry out a normal life when they see their mood very altered. Depression and bipolar disorder are presented as the most representative disorders of this type of disorder.

Depression

Depression in a mental illness characterized by a very acute alteration of the state where pathological sadness is the main symptom. This feeling is more intense and lasting than what we would understand as normal, and can cause great anxiety. All together can appear without good cause.

It is a cognitive disorder because it causes a decrease in the ability to concentrate and think, and can promote ideas as negative as suicide. It can also lead to isolation, agitation, lack of communication, and even aggressive behavior (about oneself or others).

Bipolar disorder

This disease is characterized by passing from episodes with euphoric state to episodes with depressive state. Events in the patient's life are not the cause of these behavioral changes.

Those who suffer from bipolar disorder can also have psychotic symptoms, with more or less severe degrees. The most severe degrees of euphoria and depression can occur with great speed and intensity, with which the individual has great difficulties in leading a normal life.

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