COGNITIVE DISABILITIES: DEFINITION, TYPES, SYMPTOMS, CAUSES, AND TREATMENTS

1. DR MD INTEKHABUR RAHMAN
PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY
&
DIRECTOR ACADEMIC
B. N. MANDAL UNIVERSITY
MADHEPURA-BIHAR
PIN-852113
E-mail: rahman3521@gmail.com
Contact: 9431448853

2. TITLE OF THE LECTURE
COGNITIVE DISABILITIES:
TYPES,SYMPTOMS,CAUSES AND
TREATMENTS

3. COGNITION
अनुभूति, उपलब्धि, संज्ञान, बोि
‫ادراک‬
Cognition is the mental action or
process of acquiring knowledge
and understanding through
thought, experience, and the
senses.

4. History of the Study of Cognition
The study of how we think
dates back to the time of the
ancient Greek philosophers
Plato and Aristotle.

5. History of the Study of Cognition
Philosophical Origins
• Plato's approach to the study of the mind suggested that people
understand the world by first identifying basic principles buried deep
inside themselves and then using rational thought to create knowledge.
This viewpoint was later advocated by philosophers such as Rene
Descartes and linguist Noam Chomsky. This approach to cognition is
often referred to as rationalism.
• Aristotle, on the other hand, believed that people acquire their
knowledge through their observations of the world around them. Later
thinkers including John Locke and B.F. Skinner also advocated this point
of view, which is often referred to as empiricism.

6. History of the Study of Cognition
Early Psychology
During the earliest days of psychology and for the
first half of the twentieth century, psychology was
largely dominated by psychoanalysis, behaviorism,
and humanism. Eventually, a formal field of study
devoted solely to the study of cognition emerged as
part of the “cognitive revolution” of the 1960s. The
field of psychology concerned with the study of
cognition is known as cognitive psychology.

7. History of the Study of Cognition
The Emergence of Cognitive Psychology
One of the earliest definitions of cognition
was presented in the first textbook on
cognitive psychology published in 1967.
According to Neisser, cognition is "those
processes by which the sensory input is
transformed, reduced, elaborated, stored,
recovered, and used."

8. COGNITION (अनुभूति, उपलब्धि, संज्ञान, बोि)
‫ادراک‬
DEFINITION
Cognition is a term referring to the mental processes involved in gaining
knowledge and comprehension. These cognitive processes include
thinking, knowing, remembering, judging, and problem solving.
These are higher-level functions of the brain and encompass language,
imagination, perception, and planning.

9. DEFINITION
Cognition has to do with how a person
understands the world and acts in it. It is the
set of mental abilities or processes that are
part of nearly every human action while we
are awake.

10. Cognitive Psychology संज्ञानात्मक
मनोविज्ञान
‫نفسیات‬ ‫علمی‬
Cognitive Psychology is the field of
psychology that investigates how people
think and the processes involved in
cognition.

11. Types of Cognitive Processes
There are many different types of cognitive
processes. These include:

12. Types of Cognitive Processes
Attention
Attention is a cognitive process that allows
people to focus on a specific stimulus in the
environment.

13. Types of Cognitive Processes
Language
Language and language development are cognitive
processes that involve the ability to understand and
express thoughts through spoken and written words. It
allows us to communicate with others and plays an
important role in thought.

14. Types of Cognitive Processes
Learning
Learning requires cognitive processes involved
in taking in new things, synthesizing
information, and integrating it with prior
knowledge.

15. Types of Cognitive Processes
Memory
Memory is an important cognitive process that allows
people to encode, store, and retrieve information. It is a
critical component in the learning process and allows
people to retain knowledge about the world and their
personal histories.

16. Types of Cognitive Processes
Perception
Perception is a cognitive process that allows people to
take in information through their senses (sensation)
and then utilize this information to respond and
interact with the world.

17. Types of Cognitive Processes
Thought
Thought is an essential part of every cognitive
process. It allows people to engage in decision-
making, problem-solving, and higher reasoning.

18. Uses of Cognitive processes
Cognitive processes affect every aspect of life,
from school to work to relationships. Some
specific uses for these cognitive processes include
the following:

19. Uses of Cognitive processes
Learning New Things
Learning requires being able to take in new information, form
new memories, and make connections with other things that
you already know. Researchers and educators use their
knowledge of these cognitive processes to help create
instructive materials to help people learn new concepts.

20. Uses of Cognitive processes
Forming Memories
Memory is a major topic of interest in the field of cognitive psychology. How
we remember, what we remember, and what we forget reveal a great deal
about how the cognitive processes operate.
While people often think of memory as being much like a video camera,
carefully recording and cataloging life events, and storing them away for later
recall, research has found that memory is much more complex.

21. Uses of Cognitive processes
Making Decisions
Whenever people make any type of decision, it involves making
judgments about things they have processed. It might involve
comparing new information to prior knowledge, integrating new
information into existing ideas, or even replacing old knowledge
with new knowledge before making a choice.

22. Impact of Cognition
The cognitive processes have a wide-
ranging impact that influences
everything from daily life to overall
health.

23. Impact of Cognition
Perceiving the World
As you take in sensations from the world around you, the
information that you see, hear, taste, touch, and smell must
first be transformed into signals that your brain can
understand. The perceptual process allows you to take in
sensory information and convert it into a signal that your
brain can understand and act upon.

24. Impact of Cognition
Forming Impressions
The world is full of an endless amount of sensory experiences. To
make meaning out of all this incoming information, it is
important for your brain to be able to reduce your experience of
the world down to the fundamentals. You remember everything,
so events are reduced down to the critical concepts and ideas
that you need.

25. Impact of Cognition
Filling in the Gaps
In addition to reducing information to make it more memorable
and understandable, people also elaborate on these memories
as they reconstruct them. In some cases, this elaboration
happens when people are struggling to remember something.
When the information cannot be recalled, the brain sometimes
fills in the missing data with whatever seems to fit.

26. Impact of Cognition
Interacting With the World
Cognition involves not only the things that go on inside our heads but also
how these thoughts and mental processes influence our actions. Our
attention to the world around us, memories of past events, understanding of
language, judgments about how the world works, and abilities to solve
problems all contribute to how we behave and interact with our surrounding
environment.

27. Tips to maximize your cognitive abilities
Cognitive processes are influenced by a range of
factors including genetics and experiences. While
you cannot change your genetics, there are
things that you can do to protect and maximize
your cognitive abilities:

28. Tips to maximize your cognitive abilities
Stay healthy
Lifestyle factors such as eating healthy and getting
regular exercise can have an effect on your
cognitive functioning.

29. Tips to maximize your cognitive abilities
Think critically
Question your assumptions and ask
questions about your thoughts, beliefs,
and conclusions.

30. Tips to maximize your cognitive abilities
Stay curious and keep learning
One great way to flex your cognitive
abilities is to keep challenging yourself to
learn more about the world.

31. Tips to maximize your cognitive abilities
Skip multitasking
While it might seem like doing several things at
once would help you get done faster, research
has shown it actually decreases both productivity
and work quality.

32. Potential Pitfalls in Cognition
It is important to remember that these cognitive
processes are complex and often imperfect. Some
of the possible pitfalls that can affect cognition
include:

33. Potential Pitfalls in Cognition
Problems with attention
Selective attention is a limited resource, so there are a number
of things that can make it difficult to focus on everything in your
environment.
Attentional blink, for example, happens when you are so
focused on one thing that you completely miss something else
happening right in front of you.

34. Potential Pitfalls in Cognition
Memory problems and limitations
Short-term memory is surprisingly brief, typically lasting just 20 to 30
seconds.
Long-term memory can be surprisingly stable and enduring, on the other
hand, with memories lasting years and even decades.
Memory can also be surprisingly fragile and fallible. Sometimes we forget,
and other times we are subject to misinformation effects that can even
lead to the formation of false memories.

35. Potential Pitfalls in Cognition
Cognitive biases
Cognitive biases are systematic errors in thinking related to how
people process and interpret information about the world.
The confirmation bias is one common example that involves only
paying attention to information that aligns with your existing
beliefs while ignoring evidence that doesn't support your views.

36. COGNITIVE ABILITY
Cognitive ability may be defined as a “mental
capability that … involves the ability to reason,
plan, solve problems, think abstractly,
comprehend complex ideas, learn quickly and
learn from experience” (Gottfredson, 1997, p.
13).

37. COGNITIVE ABILITY
 Cognitive abilities are brain-based skills we need to carry out any task from the
simplest to the most complex.
 They have more to do with the mechanisms of how we learn, remember, problem-
solve, and pay attention, rather than with any actual knowledge. For instance,
answering the telephone involves perception (hearing the ring tone), decision
taking (answering or not), motor skill (lifting the receiver), language skills (talking
and understanding language), social skills (interpreting tone of voice and interacting
properly with another human being).

38. COGNITIVE ABILITY
 Cognitive abilities or skills are supported by specific neuronal networks. For instance
memory skills rely mainly on parts of the temporal lobes and parts of the frontal
lobes (behind the forehead).
 People with traumatic brain injuries can experience lower cognitive ability linked to
compromised neuronal regions and networks (which is why neuro-rehabilitation is so
important).

39. COGNITIVE ABILITY
COGNITIVE ABILITIES ARE BRAINS FUNCTIONS
In the table in another slide you
can browse through the main
brain functions involved in
cognition.

40. COGNITIVE ABILITY
Cognitive Ability/Brain Function Skills involved
PERCEPTION Recognition and interpretation of sensory stimuli (smell, touch, hearing…)
ATTENTION Ability to sustain concentration on a particular object, action, or thought, and ability to
manage competing demands in our environment.
MEMORY Short-term/ working memory (limited storage), and Long-term memory (unlimited
storage).
MOTOR SKILLS Ability to mobilize our muscles and bodies, and ability to manipulate objects.
LANGUAGE Skills allowing us to translate sounds into words and generate verbal output.
VISUAL AND SPACIAL PROCESSING Ability to process incoming visual stimuli, to understand spatial relationship between
objects, and to visualize images and scenarios.
EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS
Abilities that enable goal-oriented behavior, such as the ability to plan, and execute a goal. These
include:
Flexibility: the capacity for quickly switching to the appropriate mental mode.
Theory of mind: insight into other people’s inner world, their plans, their likes and dislikes.
Anticipation: prediction based on pattern recognition.
Problem-solving: defining the problem in the right way to then generate solutions
and pick the right one.
Decision making: the ability to make decisions based on problem-solving, on
incomplete information and on emotions (ours and others’).
Working Memory: the capacity to hold and manipulate information “on-line” in real time.
Emotional self-regulation: the ability to identify and manage one’s own
emotions for good performance.
Sequencing: the ability to break down complex actions into manageable units
and prioritize them in the right order.
Inhibition: the ability to withstand distraction, and internal urges.

41. COGNITIVE ABILITY
COGNITIVE ABILITIES ARE NOT FIXED — WE CAN IMPROVE THEM VIA LIFESTYLE AND
TARGETED PRACTICE
 With age, some cognitive abilities tend to decline, especially
executive functions and those cognitive abilities that are not used
regularly.
 Fortunately, growing evidence shows that decline can be delayed,
and lower cognitive ability can be increased, with appropriate
lifestyle options and practices.

42. Cognitive Disability
Cognitive Disability
Cognitive Impairment
Cognitive Deficits
Cognitive Decline
Intellectual Disability
Cognitive Disorders

43. Intellectual Disability
 Intellectual Disability is a temporary or permanent loss of mental functions, causing
forgetfulness, lack of concentration, learning difficulties, and other reductions in
effective thinking.
 Intellectual disability is a disability characterized by significant limitations in
both intellectual functioning and in adaptive behavior, which covers many everyday
social and practical skills. This disability originates before the age of 22.

44. Intellectual Disability
Intellectual Functioning
Intellectual functioning—also called intelligence—refers to general mental capacity, such
as learning, reasoning, problem solving, and so on.
One way to measure intellectual functioning is an IQ test. Generally, an IQ test score of
around 70 or as high as 75 indicates a limitation in intellectual functioning.

45. Intellectual Disability
Adaptive Behavior
Adaptive behavior is the collection of conceptual, social, and practical skills that are learned and performed by
people in their everyday lives.
 Conceptual skills—language and literacy; money, time, and number concepts; and self-direction.
 Social skills—interpersonal skills, social responsibility, self-esteem, gullibility, naïveté (i.e., wariness), social
problem solving, and the ability to follow rules/obey laws and to avoid being victimized.
 Practical skills—activities of daily living (personal care), occupational skills, healthcare,
travel/transportation, schedules/routines, safety, use of money, use of the telephone.
Standardized tests can also determine limitations in adaptive behavior.

46. Cognitive Impairment
 A cognitive impairment (also known as an intellectual disability) is a term used
when a person has certain limitations in mental functioning and in skills such as
communication, self-help, and social skills.
 These limitations will cause a child to learn and develop more slowly than a
typical child.
 It is diagnosed through the use of standardized tests of intelligence and adaptive
behavior.
 It can be caused by injury, disease, genetic condition, or a brain abnormality.
 This can happen before a child is born or during childhood. For many children,
the cause of their intellectual disability is not known.

47. Cognitive Decline
Cognitive Decline (CD) or Cognitive Impairment (CI) refers to a
transitional state between the cognition of normal aging and
mild dementia. It is a clinical construct that describes individuals
with mildly impaired performance on objective
neuropsychological tests but relatively intact global cognition
and daily functioning.

48. Cognitive Deficits
Cognitive deficit is an inclusive term
used to describe impairment in an
individual’s mental processes that lead to
the acquisition of information and
knowledge, and drive how an individual
understands and acts in the world.

49. Cognitive Disorders
Cognitive disorders are a part of the neurocognitive
disorder classification in the fifth edition of the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
(DSM-V). Cognitive disorders are defined as any disorder
that significantly impairs the cognitive function of an
individual to the point where normal functioning in
society is impossible without treatment.

50. Cognitive Disorders
Some common cognitive disorders include:
 Dementia
 Developmental disorders
 Motor skill disorders
 Amnesia
 Substance-induced cognitive impairment

51. Cognitive Disorders
What Causes a Cognitive Disorder?
Like most mental disorders, cognitive disorders are caused by a variety of factors.
 Some are due to hormonal imbalances in the womb,
 Others to genetic predisposition
 and still others to environmental factors.
 Common environmental causes of cognitive disorders include a lack of proper nutrients and
interaction during vulnerable stages of cognitive development, particularly during infancy.
 Other common causes of cognitive disorder include substance abuse and physical injury. When
an area of the brain that determines cognitive function is damaged, either by the excessive use
of drugs, by alcohol or from physical trauma, those neurophysiological changes can result in
cognitive dysfunction.

52. Cognitive Disorders
What Are the Signs of Cognitive Disorder?
Cognitive disorder signs vary according to the particular disorder, but some common signs
and symptoms overlap in most disorders. Some of the most common signs of cognitive
disorder include:
 Confusion
 Poor motor coordination
 Loss of short-term or long-term memory
 Identity confusion
 Impaired judgment

53. Cognitive Disorders
 Some cognitive disorders develop in stages and symptoms increase in severity the
further the disease progresses.
 Alzheimer’s disease, for example, begins with the patient showing very minor signs
of forgetfulness. Sufferers may forget names they know well, or they may have
trouble remembering what they did recently.
 The initial symptoms of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease are often indistinguishable
from normal memory errors.
 However, as the disease progresses, the affected person’s memory becomes
persistently impaired. They may have rare moments of clarity, but life is generally
lived in a state of confusion.

54. Cognitive Disability
 In order for students to be diagnosed with a cognitive disability, they must have
impairments in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior. Additionally, the
symptoms must be present before a child becomes 18 years old.
 Intellectual functioning refers to a person's ability to plan, comprehend, and reason.
A child's intellectual functioning can be assessed by an intelligence test. The most
common intelligence test that you've probably heard of is the IQ test. Generally, a
child with scores of 70-75 or lower is classified as having a cognitive disability.
 Adaptive behavior refers to an individual's ability to apply social and practical skills in
everyday life. Examples of adaptive behavior can include personal care, social
problem-solving skills, dressing and eating skills, using money, and following rules.

55. Cognitive Disability
Types of Cognitive Disabilities
 The most common type of cognitive disability is a mild cognitive disability,
accounting for around 85% of all cognitive disabilities. Kids in this category have IQ
scores between 55 and 70 and are usually included in the regular classroom.
 Common characteristics of mild intellectual disabilities include difficulty
remembering previously learned material, problems making predictions, short
attention spans, poor short-term memories, and challenges generalizing skills to
new situations.

56. Cognitive Disability
 The second-most common cognitive disability is a moderate
cognitive disability. Students with this type of disability
have IQ scores between 30 and 55.
 These kids may have simple communication skills, difficulties in
social situations, and also might present with noticeable delays.
About 10% of kids who've been diagnosed with a cognitive
disability fall in the moderate range.

57. Cognitive Disability
 The third type of cognitive disability is a severe
cognitive disability.
 Kids with severe cognitive disabilities have IQ scores that fall
under thirty and will have few communication skills, and will
need direct supervision. Of all cognitive disabilities , only
about 3-4% of children have a severe cognitive disabilities.

58. Symptoms of Cognitive Disability
Emotional Symptoms of Cognitive Problems
Cognitive problems manifest in a variety of ways,
 with emotional imbalance being one of the most common symptoms.
 Cognitive impairment is frustrating,
 and those suffering from it often react with emotional outbursts,
 making it difficult for friends and family to help.
 Others may push people away in an attempt to isolate themselves, only making the problem
worse.
 Other cognitive disorders have the opposite effect, causing the person to have dulled or
nonexistent emotions.

59. Symptoms of Cognitive Disability
Physical Symptoms of Cognitive Problems
o Cognition problems often manifest in the form of visible outward symptoms.
o The affected person may appear dazed and confused, and their eyes may have a glazed
appearance.
o Motor coordination is often affected in both neurological and psychological cognitive
disorders, and the person may have unusual mannerisms or simply a lack of balance
and normal posture.

60. Symptoms of Cognitive Disability
Short-Term and Long-Term Effects of Cognitive Instability
 Cognitive instability comes with both short- and long-term effects.
 Some common short-term effects include memory loss, a state of confusion and a
lack of coordination.
 Long-term effects include the increasing loss of declarative memory, such as
forgetting names and significant faces, and a general lack of emotional stability and
control over one’s actions.

61. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI)
Symptoms of Cognitive Disability
 Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is the stage between the expected cognitive decline of normal
aging and the more serious decline of dementia. It's characterized by problems with memory,
language, thinking or judgment.
 If you have mild cognitive impairment, you may be aware that your memory or mental function
has "slipped." Your family and close friends also may notice a change. But these changes aren't
severe enough to significantly interfere with your daily life and usual activities.
 Mild cognitive impairment may increase your risk of later developing dementia caused by
Alzheimer's disease or other neurological conditions. But some people with mild cognitive
impairment never get worse, and a few eventually get better.

62. Symptoms of Cognitive Disability
Symptoms
 Your brain, like the rest of your body, changes as you grow older. Many people notice
gradually increasing forgetfulness as they age. It may take longer to think of a word
or to recall a person's name.
 But consistent or increasing concern about your mental performance may suggest
mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

63. Symptoms of Cognitive Disability
Cognitive issues may go beyond what's expected and indicate possible MCI if you
experience any or all of the following:
1. You forget things more often.
2. You forget important events such as appointments or social engagements.
3. You lose your train of thought or the thread of conversations, books or movies.
4. You feel increasingly overwhelmed by making decisions, planning steps to accomplish a task or understanding
instructions.
5. You start to have trouble finding your way around familiar environments.
6. You become more impulsive or show increasingly poor judgment.
7. Your family and friends notice any of these changes.

64. If you have MCI, you may also experience:
I. Depression
II. Irritability and aggression
III.Anxiety
IV.Apathy
Symptoms of Cognitive Disability

65. Symptoms of Cognitive Disability
Cognitive impairment may accompany other symptoms,
which vary depending on the underlying disease,
disorder or condition. Symptoms that frequently affect
the brain may also involve other body systems or
disorders.

66. Symptoms of Cognitive Disability
Infection symptoms that may occur along with cognitive impairment
Cognitive impairment may accompany symptoms related to infection including:
1) Fever
2) Headache
3) Malaise or lethargy
4) Muscle twitching, spasms or seizures
5) Nausea with or without vomiting
6) Rash
7) Stiff or rigid neck

67. Symptoms of Cognitive Disability
Metabolic symptoms that may occur along with cognitive impairment
Cognitive impairment may accompany other symptoms related to metabolic
disorders including:
 Abdominal pain
 Abnormal heart rhythm such as rapid heart rate (tachycardia) or slow heart rate (bradycardia)
 Changes in skin
 Confusion or loss of consciousness for even a brief moment
 Difficulty breathing or rapid breathing
 Nausea with or without vomiting
 Fatigue
 Feeling very thirsty
 Frequent urination or decrease in urine output
 Fruity breath
 Muscle weakness

68. Symptoms of Cognitive Disability
Other symptoms that may occur along with cognitive impairment
Cognitive impairment may accompany symptoms related to other problems, such as injury, stroke or dementia. These
symptoms may include:
 Change in sleep patterns
 Changes in mood, personality or behavior
 Confusion or loss of consciousness for even a brief moment
 Difficulty with memory, thinking, talking, comprehension, writing or reading
 Impaired balance and coordination
 Loss of vision or changes in vision
 Nausea with or without vomiting
 Numbness, weakness or paralysis
 Seizure
 Severe headache

69. Symptoms of Cognitive Disability
Serious symptoms that might indicate a life-threatening condition
In some cases, cognitive impairment may be a symptom of a life-threatening condition that should be immediately evaluated in an
emergency setting. Seek immediate medical care (call 911) if you, or someone you are with, have any of these life-threatening symptoms
including:
 Change in level of consciousness or alertness such as passing out or unresponsiveness
 Change in mental status or sudden behavior change such as confusion, delirium, lethargy, hallucinations or delusions
 Garbled or slurred speech or inability to speak
 High fever (higher than 101 degrees Fahrenheit)
 High-pitched, shrill cries in an infant or small child
 Paralysis or inability to move a body part
 Poor feeding, unusual sleepiness, or irritability in a child or infant
 Seizure
 Stiff or rigid neck
 Sudden change in vision, loss of vision, or eye pain
 Trauma to the head
 Worst headache of your life

70. Causes of Cognitive Disability
There's no single cause of mild cognitive impairment
(MCI), just as there's no single outcome for the
disorder.
Symptoms of MCI may remain stable for years,
progress to Alzheimer's disease or another type of
dementia, or improve over time.

71. Causes of Cognitive Disability
Cognitive impairment can result from conditions
that occur during fetal development, at birth,
shortly after birth, or at any point in life.
Sometimes, the cause of cognitive impairment
cannot be determined, especially in a newborn or
small child.

72. Causes of Cognitive Disability
Congenital causes of cognitive impairment
Cognitive impairment may be present at
birth and may be genetic or chromosomal
or result from complications of pregnancy.
Congenital causes of cognitive impairment
include:

73. Causes of Cognitive Disability
 Chromosomal abnormalities such as Down syndrome, fragile X syndrome, cri
du chat syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, and others
 Congenital hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)
 Genetic abnormalities such as phenylketonuria, Tay-Sachs disease,
galactosemia, Hunter syndrome, Hurler syndrome, adrenoleukodystrophy,
and others
 Intrauterine growth retardation (poor growth of fetus)
 Prenatal drug or alcohol exposure
 Prenatal infections

74. Causes of Cognitive Disability
Birth-related causes of cognitive impairment
Cognitive impairment can also be
caused by complications related to
delivery including:

75. Causes of Cognitive Disability
 Infection
 Lack of oxygen during labor or birth
 Preterm birth or its complications such as
intracranial hemorrhage (uncontrolled bleeding
in the brain)

76. Causes of Cognitive Disability
Causes of cognitive impairment that occur after birth or during childhood and
adolescence
Cognitive impairment can also be caused
by conditions that occur after birth or
during childhood and adolescence
including:

77.  Autism (abnormal development of communication and social skills)
 Head injury
 Heavy metal poisoning such as lead poisoning
 Infection
 Kidney disease (which includes any type of kidney problem such as kidney
stones, kidney failure, and kidney anomalies)
 Malnutrition
 Metabolic conditions
 Neonatal jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes occurring after birth)
 Side effects of cancer therapy
 Systemic lupus erythematosus (a disorder in which the body attacks its own healthy
cells and tissues)
Causes of Cognitive Disability

78. Causes of Cognitive Disability
Causes of cognitive impairment that occur in adults
Cognitive impairment can also be
caused by conditions that occur in
adulthood including:

79. Causes of Cognitive Disability
 Alcohol or drug abuse
 Brain or spinal cord injury
 Certain vitamin deficiencies
 Congestive heart failure (deterioration of the heart’s ability to pump blood)
 Dementia
 Infections
 Kidney disease (which includes any type of kidney problem such as kidney stones,
kidney failure, and kidney anomalies)
 Liver disease (which includes any type of liver problem such as hepatitis, cirrhosis,
and liver failure)
 Medication side effects

80. Causes of Cognitive Disability
Serious or life-threatening causes of cognitive impairment
In some cases, cognitive impairment may be a
symptom of a serious or life-threatening
condition that should be immediately
evaluated in an emergency setting. These
include:

81. Causes of Cognitive Disability
 Brain tumor
 Encephalitis (inflammation and swelling of the brain due to a viral infection or
other causes)
 Heat stroke
 Kidney failure
 Meningitis (infection of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord)
 Profound dehydration
 Sepsis (severe infection of the bloodstream)
 Spinal cord injury or tumor
 Stroke
 Traumatic head injury

82. Causes of Cognitive Disability
Current evidence indicates that MCI often, but not always, develops from a lesser degree of the same types of brain
changes seen in Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia.
Some of these changes have been identified in autopsy studies of people with MCI. These changes include:
I. Abnormal clumps of beta-amyloid protein (plaques) and microscopic protein clumps of tau characteristic of
Alzheimer's disease (tangles)
II. Lewy bodies, which are microscopic clumps of another protein associated with Parkinson's disease, dementia
with Lewy bodies and some cases of Alzheimer's disease
III. Small strokes or reduced blood flow through brain blood vessels
Brain-imaging studies show that the following changes may be associated with MCI:
I. Shrinkage of the hippocampus, a brain region important for memory
II. Enlargement of the brain's fluid-filled spaces (ventricles)
III. Reduced use of glucose, the sugar that's the primary source of energy for cells, in key brain regions

83. Risk factors of Cognitive Disability
The strongest risk factors for MCI are:
1. Increasing age
2. Other medical conditions and lifestyle factors have been linked to an
increased risk of cognitive change, including:
1. Diabetes 2. Smoking 3. High blood pressure 4.
Elevated cholesterol 5. Obesity 6. Depression 7. Lack of
physical exercise 8. Low education level 9. Infrequent
participation in mentally or socially stimulating
activities

84. Prevention for Cognitive Disability
Mild cognitive impairment can't always be
prevented. But research has found some
environmental factors that may affect the
risk of developing the condition.

85. Prevention for Cognitive Disability
Studies show that these steps may help prevent cognitive impairment:
 Avoid excessive alcohol use.
 Limit exposure to air pollution.
 Reduce your risk of head injury.
 Don't smoke.
 Manage health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and depression.
 Practice good sleep hygiene and manage sleep disturbances.
 Eat a nutrient-rich diet that has plenty of fruits and vegetables and is low in saturated fats.
 Engage socially with others.
 Exercise regularly at a moderate to vigorous intensity.
 Wear a hearing aid if you have hearing loss.
 Stimulate your mind with puzzles, games and memory training.

86. Treatments for Cognitive disabilities
Cognitive disabilities have no cure, but early intervention can
lessen their effects.
 People with cognitive disabilities can develop ways to cope
with their disabilities.
 Getting help earlier increases the chance of success in school
and later in life.
If cognitive disabilities remain untreated, a child may begin to
feel frustrated, which can lead to low self-esteem and other
problems.

87. Treatments for Cognitive disabilities
Experts can help a child learn skills by building on the
child’s strengths and finding ways to compensate for
the child’s weaknesses.
Interventions vary depending on the nature and
extent of the disability.

88. Treatments for Cognitive disabilities
1. Special Education Service
Children diagnosed with learning disabilities can receive special education services.
2. Individualized Education Programs
Children who qualify for special education services will receive an Individualized
Education Program, or IEP. This personalized and written education plan
3. Qualifying for special education
To qualify for special education services, a child must be evaluated by the school system
and meet federal and state guidelines. Parents and caregivers can contact their school
principal or special education coordinator to find out how to have their child evaluated.
Parents can also review these resources

89. Interventions for cognitive disability
Below are just a few of the ways schools
help children with specific learning
disabilities.

90. Interventions for cognitive disability
Dyslexia
Intensive teaching techniques. These can include specific, step-by-step, and very methodical
approaches to teaching reading with the goal of improving both spoken language and written
language skills. These techniques are generally more intensive in terms of how often they occur
and how long they last and often involve small group or one-on-one instruction.
Classroom modifications. Teachers can give students with dyslexia extra time to finish tasks and
provide taped tests that allow the child to hear the questions instead of reading them.
Use of technology. Children with dyslexia may benefit from listening to audio books or using word-
processing programs.

91. Interventions for cognitive disability
Dysgraphia
Special tools. Teachers can offer oral exams, provide a note-taker, or allow the child to
videotape reports instead of writing them. Computer software can facilitate children
being able to produce written text.
Use of technology. A child with dysgraphia can be taught to use word-processing
programs, including those incorporating speech-to-text translation, or an audio recorder
instead of writing by hand.
Reducing the need for writing. Teachers can provide notes, outlines, and preprinted
study sheets.

92. Interventions for cognitive disability
Dyscalculia
Visual techniques. Teachers can draw pictures of word problems and show the
student how to use colored pencils to differentiate parts of problems.
Memory aids. Rhymes and music can help a child remember math concepts.
Computers. A child with dyscalculia can use a computer for drills and practice.

93. THE END
Thank