Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptoms and EffectsWhen Does It Begin?How Fast Does It Happen?Causes and Risk FactorsHow to Slow Cognitive DeclineTestingCoping With Changes
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms and Effects
When Does It Begin?
How Fast Does It Happen?
Causes and Risk Factors
How to Slow Cognitive Decline
Testing
Coping With Changes
Cognitive decline—orcognitive impairment—is a reduction in the ability toremember, reason, learn, and pay attention. While some loss of these thinking skills is a normal part of aging, cognitive decline is when the loss is worse than expected for your age.
Noticeable cognitive decline is most common in people older than 70, though younger adults are susceptible, too, as a number of neurological and psychological conditions cause this condition.
This article breaks down the signs of cognitive decline, how it progresses, its causes, as well as what you can do to take this condition on.
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Symptoms and Effects of Cognitive Decline
Cognitive decline causes a broad range of deficits in memory, reasoning, concentration, and learning. Some healthcare providers categorize cognitive decline into four stages based on the symptom severity.
Very Mild Cognitive Decline
There are no reported signs in the earliest stages of cognitive decline. However, connections betweenneurons(brain cells) change and break down long before you notice symptoms.
This progresses to very mild cognitive decline (or subjective cognitive decline) when symptoms are reported but not evident in diagnosis. You may have more lapses in memory, such as forgetting where you put your keys, meetings you have scheduled, and the names of people, or you have difficulty staying focused.
Mild Cognitive Decline
Many healthcare providers view mild cognitive decline—often calledmild cognitive impairment(MCI)—as an intermediate stage between typical age-related cognitive decline anddementia. This stage of cognitive decline causes noticeable symptoms that start to impact work and daily living, including:
Moderate Cognitive Decline
With moderate cognitive decline—or mild dementia—the symptoms are apparent in clinical evaluation. Hallmarks of moderate cognitive decline include:
Disorientation around time and place is another sign, as is loss of arithmetic ability and inability to dress independently.As this stage progresses to moderately severe cognitive decline or moderate dementia, a person may no longer be able to live independently.
Severe Cognitive Decline
Later stages, including severe and very severe cognitive decline, involve a continued deterioration of cognitive abilities. Signs of severe cognitive decline include:
In very severe cognitive decline (severe dementia), people lose their ability to read, write, and speak and require assistance with every aspect of daily living. Eventually, walking and motor abilities gradually deteriorate.
Confusion and Cognitive Effects: What to Know
When Does Cognitive Decline Begin?
Yourbrainconstantly changes throughout your life, and some cognitive decline is expected after middle age. The older you are, the more likely you are to experience signs; mild cognitive impairment was estimated to affect 6.7% of 60- to 64-year-olds but more than 25% of 80 to 84-year-olds.
In one cross-sectional study of 29,000 participants with dementia, the age of symptom onset was 73 for women and 70 for men.Other studies have found that early signs of cognitive decline can start before age 60 and even arise in your 20s or 30s.
In addition, cognitive decline can accompany psychological conditions likemajor depressive disorderor other diseases, which affect those of all ages, races, and ethnicity.
Post COVID Brain FogA growing body of research indicates that some people experience cognitive decline for months to years after aCOVID-19infection. In particular, researchers found effects on executive function, which includes working memory, adaptable thinking, and self-control.
Post COVID Brain Fog
A growing body of research indicates that some people experience cognitive decline for months to years after aCOVID-19infection. In particular, researchers found effects on executive function, which includes working memory, adaptable thinking, and self-control.
How Fast Does Cognitive Decline Happen?
Cognitive decline can develop rapidly or gradually, depending on the underlying cause. In the research, between 8% and 13% of those with mild cognitive impairment develop dementia, most oftenAlzheimer’s disease, within one year.
Certain conditions can contribute to decline, with cognitive changes seen within weeks or months. This is the case for a range of brain infections, injuries, neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, other diseases, or certain medications.
Mild Cognitive Impairment and DementiaWhile mild cognitive impairment increases your risk of dementia conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, not all cases progress this way. Researchers found as many as 16% of those with MCI see a restoration of normal cognition within a year.However, other studies found as many as 65% develop full dementia three years after a mild cognitive impairment diagnosis.
Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia
While mild cognitive impairment increases your risk of dementia conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, not all cases progress this way. Researchers found as many as 16% of those with MCI see a restoration of normal cognition within a year.However, other studies found as many as 65% develop full dementia three years after a mild cognitive impairment diagnosis.
Fundamentally, cognitive decline occurs as neurons (brain cells) in certain parts of the brain start to weaken and die. A wide range of diseases and health factors can bring this on, including:
Risk Factors
Several health factors can raise your risk of developing cognitive decline, including things that are within your control and those that aren’t. Examples are:
In most cases, cognitive decline is irreversible. But there are things you can do todelay its progress. This means addressing any underlying health factors and making lifestyle changes. The following are some ways to slow down cognitive decline:
Testing to Confirm Cognitive Decline
A cognitive decline diagnosis primarily begins with the individual or a family member reporting symptoms and growing concerned about their condition. A healthcare provider will perform additional evaluations to get at the root causes of the issue.
To confirm a suspected case, a healthcare provider—often a neurologist, neuropsychiatrist, or other specialist—may perform the following tests:
The impact of cognitive decline can be severe, affecting your ability to function and live independently. Often, living with this condition means learning to adapt to it. Consider the following coping strategies:
Summary
Cognitive decline is a loss of reasoning, memory, concentration, language, and problem-solving skills. Early signs are less severe, but in most cases, the condition gets worse and progresses to dementia, which makes you unable to function independently.
Neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, brain injury, medication side effects, and systemic (body-wide) diseases are among the many causes. Adopting lifestyle changes and treating the underlying causes of cognitive decline can slow its progress.
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