Cognitive skills are mental processes that allow you to gain knowledge and give you the ability to think.
Neurocognitive functions are mental processes that are linked to specific parts of the brain or pathways in the brain.
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What Can Affect Neurocognitive Function?
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Neurocognitive function may be affected by age or a health condition.
Age and Neurocognitive Function
Neurocognitive functions often decline with age.
They are known as neurocognitive disorders.
These are diseases that affect mental skills due to conditions that are not sparked by psychiatric illness.
In mild cases, a person has difficulty with more complex cognitive tasks such as managing money.
A moderate deficit can cause difficulty with self-care tasks such as eating or getting dressed.
In severe cases, a person is unable to care for themselves.
Neurocognitive testing includes a variety of neurocognitive assessment tools (NCATs) that target different neurocognitive skills.
NCATs are standardized tests that can be computerized or done on paper.
What Is a Neurocognitive Deficit?
A decline in neurocognitive function is called a neurocognitive deficit.
Neurocognitive Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation can help people with neurocognitive deficits.
Neurocognitive rehab can be performed by a variety of healthcare professionals, depending on a person’s specific deficits.
These can include:
There are two main approaches to neurocognitive rehabilitation: restorative and compensatory.
Neurocognitive rehab includes a wide variety of interventions, tailored to the specific deficits found during testing.
Examples include social cognition, language, learning, memory, executive function, and perceptual-motor skills.
Medical conditions that affect the brain can lead to deficits in neurocognitive function.
Standardized tests are used to assess neurocognitive skills.
Testing can provide a baseline measurement of your brain function or help determine if deficits are present.
Be proactive with treatment.
Rehab interventions can help improve your function or help you learn to adapt to permanent limitations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Neurocognitive measures are usually standardized tests or screening tools that assess specific neurocognitive skills.
Neurocognitive testing is performed by a variety of healthcare providers.
Standardized tests are used to assess skills in specific areas, such as attention, memory, and language.
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