Caring for people with impaired mobility
Nicola Neale, Joanne Sale in Developing Practical Nursing Skills, 2022
Cognitive impairment is defined as a deficit in at least one cognitive domain (WHO 2017). These domains include sensation and perception; motor skills and construction; attention and concentration; memory; executive functioning; processing speed; and language/verbal skills (Harvey 2019). The most common causes of cognitive impairment are dementia as well as development disorders, head injuries and substance misuse. Around 50 million people around the world suffer from a form of dementia, and of these, around 60–70% of people are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s (WHO 2020c). People with Alzheimer’s are vulnerable to pressure ulcers because they may have communication problems and suffer from agitation or restlessness, leading to the display of repetitive movements (Alzheimer’s Society 2020). Someone with dementia including Alzheimer’s is likely to have other age-related risk factors.
The older adult
David B Cooper in Ethics in Mental Health–Substance Use, 2017
Older adults are the age group most likely to be affected by cognitive impairment and an estimated 5–25 percent of older adults are cognitively impaired (Kumar et al. 2005; Manly et al. 2005; Purser et al. 2005). Common causes of cognitive impairment in older adults are traumatic brain injury, stroke, degenerative neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and alcohol and drug use. Between 50–80 percent of people of all ages with chro nic alcohol problems experience cognitive impairment (Bates et al. 2002). Older adults are a high risk group for alcohol-related cognitive impairment because age-related physiological changes can make them particularly sensitive to the toxic effects of alcohol on the brain (Pierucci-Lagha and Derouesné 2003).
Neuropsychological Assessment of Alcohol-Related Cognitive Impairment
Jenny Svanberg, Adrienne Withall, Brian Draper, Stephen Bowden in Alcohol and the Adult Brain, 2014
Taking all of these factors into consideration, it is clear that a comprehensive psychological assessment for those presenting for treatment of alcohol-use disorders should include assessment of cognitive functioning (NICE, 2011). Early identification of cognitive impairment among those entering alcohol treatment programs would allow more informed rehabilitation (Allen, Goldstein and Seaton, 1997; Bates, Bowden and Barry, 2002) and better treatment matching, with a corresponding benefit to outcomes. In addition, earlier recognition of impairment would give a greater possibility of recovery of function for some, and the potential to prevent further damage (Harper, 2009). Effective assessment of the presence of cognitive impairment can be achieved using screening measures, described further in the next section. Recognizing cognitive impairment early is crucial when considering the consequences of missing early signs of Wernicke's Encephalopathy (WE), such as development of the chronic KS (75 per cent) and/or death (20 per cent; Thomson and Marshall, 2006).
Mediterranean Diet and Cognitive Status in Free-Living Elderly: A Cross-Sectional Study in Northern Italy
Published in Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 2018
Ramona De Amicis, Alessandro Leone, Andrea Foppiani, Diana Osio, Lidia Lewandowski, Valentina Giustizieri, Paolo Cornelio, Ferdinando Cornelio, Susanna Fusari Imperatori, Stefano F. Cappa, Alberto Battezzati, Simona Bertoli
Cognitive impairment is a condition involving the onset and evolution of cognitive impairment beyond normal age-related memory and learning loss, the inability to concentrate, and decision-making difficulties, all of which affect everyday life (1). It can vary from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to severe levels, known as dementia (2). In the case of MCI, people report changes in cognitive functions associated with objective evidence of cognitive impairment but are still able to do their everyday activities, while dementia is diagnosed when there is functional impairment resulting in the inability to live unassisted and independently (1). A simple test, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), of five areas of cognitive function (orientation, registration, attention and calculation, recall, and language) is widely used as a screening tool for cognitive impairment (3).
The development of a manual-based digital memory notebook intervention with case study illustrations
Published in Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 2020
Lisa A. Chudoba, Abere Sawaqdeh Church, Jessamyn B. Dahmen, Katelyn D. Brown, Maureen Schmitter-Edgecombe
Cognitive impairment can be caused by a number of diseases and conditions throughout the lifespan, including dementia, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and developmental disorders. Individuals with cognitive impairment can experience difficulties across varying domains, including learning and remembering new information, concentrating and making decisions. Cognitive impairment is associated with billions of dollars in health care costs and can lead to drastic changes in an individual’s everyday functioning (Alzheimer’s Association, 2018; Andrews et al., 2017). Common negative consequences of cognitive impairment include difficulties completing activities of daily living (e.g., meal preparation, managing finances, chore completion), decreased self-efficacy, mismanagement of chronic health conditions, lower quality of life, and social withdrawal (Farias et al., 2006; Wagster, King, Resnick & Rapp, 2012). Age is the primary risk factor for the development of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia, and the aging population of the United States is growing at an unprecedented rate (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). Currently, there is an urgent need to provide feasible, efficacious and scalable interventions that will help individuals experiencing cognitive impairment maintain everyday independence and quality of life while also decreasing caregiver burden and health care costs.
The relationship between cadmium and cognition in the elderly: a systematic review
Published in Annals of Human Biology, 2023
Xueke Yang, Lijing Xi, Zhaoyan Guo, Li Liu, Zhiguang Ping
The strengths and significance of our study are as follows. This study systematically and comprehensively evaluated the existing literatures on the relationship between Cd and cognitive ability in the elderly, which had not been conducted in previous studies. A total of 10,396 subjects were involved in this study, covering many countries and regions, which can systematically and truly reflect the relationship between Cd and the elderly. Most of the original research aims to study the relationship between heavy metals and cognitive ability of the elderly. Therefore, regardless of whether the relationship between Cd and the elderly is statistically significant, it will be published, which greatly reduces publication bias (Lin and Chu 2018). Cognitive impairment in the elderly is a disease caused by a variety of complex factors. Understanding the relationship between Cd and cognitive impairment in the elderly is of great significance for the prevention, early diagnosis and symptomatic treatment of cognitive impairment in the elderly (Eshkoor et al. 2015; Kim et al. 2019).
Related Knowledge Centers
- Attention
- Cognition
- Dyslexia
- Intellectual Disability
- Intelligence
- Neuropsychological Assessment
- Working Memory
- Decision-Making
- Learning Disability
- Executive Functions