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Cognition
Cognition is that operation of the mind by which we become aware of objects of thought or perception. It includes all aspects of perceiving, thinking and remembering.
There are many different components of cognition. Normally aging individuals may show some decline in some of these areas. However, persons with dementia will have declines in three or more of these areas that are severe enough to impact their life. The areas of cognition include:
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The ability to pay attention |
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Language |
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The ability to perform to learn and form new memories |
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The ability to interpret spatial instructions such as signs and three dimensional input |
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Psychomotor function - the ability to process information and translate that into action and how fast one can translate it into action |
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Executive function – the ability to manage complex task such as following recipes, managing money and family finances. |
Example: Operating an automobile would combine many of these elements of cognition such as the ability to interpret three dimensional spaces, psychomotor ability and executive function.
It is important to note that while there are some areas of cognition that decline with age, this decline is variable. Research may be able to help us better understand and, perhaps, prevent decline across the spectrum of cognition. For example, we know that some people maintain the ability to learn and form new memories well into their 90's while others do not. The primary goal of the Kulynych Center is to better understand why these differences exist and how we can better prevent and treat them in all areas of memory and cognition. |