Assessment and impairment of cognitive functions

Abstract

Cognitive functions enable us to receive, select, store, transform, process and retrieve the information we receive from the outside world. These functions are controlled by different brain structures that interact with each other, enabling us to interact with and understand the world around us. In the course of aging or the onset of neurocognitive diseases, these functions may be impaired to a greater or lesser extent, giving rise to a considerable variety of neurocognitive impairment profiles. When a patient appears to be suffering from neurocognitive disorders, a thorough neuropsychological evaluation can help to characterize this impairment precisely, before guiding therapeutic management. It also contributes significantly to the etiological diagnosis of the disorder.