Physiological Basis of Nonmemory Cognition in Alzheimers Disease-An Overview

Abstract

Alzheimer's (AD) disease is foremost of the neurodegenerative diseases affecting cognition. Though memory, out of all cognitive functions of the brain, received much attention, the nonmemory cognitive functions including the higher brain functions, are equally important. In fact what is perceived by the five senses is the basis of our learning, what is learned thus, is stored in the brain as memory of various types and the retrieved memory appropriate to the situation is the basis for higher brain functions.Thus all are interconnected when overall cognitivefunctions of the brain are considered. This article focuses on the nonmemory functions of the brain (like attention, perception, language and learning) as well as higher brain functions like (thinking. planning, execution, judgement, emotional and social behaviour etc). Their physiological basis as well as how they are affected in AD are discussed in this article.