Cognitive Impairment

What is Cognitive Impairment?

Cognitive impairment refers to persistent issues in cognitive function, the most common forms of which being Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia.

 Alzheimer’s disease is one of a number of neurodegenerative diseases, characterised by oxidative stress (an imbalance of antioxidants and free radicals). It is the most common neurodegenerative disease, with an estimated 850,000 people living with the condition in the UK.

 In Alzheimer’s disease, amyloid plaques form in the brain, and damage nerve cells. Consequently, regions of the brain, such as the hippocampus (responsible for learning, long-term memory and emotions) are weakened.

 Although it is often associated with memory loss, cognitive impairment also produces various other issues with cognitive ability such as problems with:

 ·      Reasoning, planning and problem-solving

·      Attention, for example, being easily distracted

·      Language, for example, using incorrect words

·      Visual-depth perception, for example, struggling to navigate surroundings

The condition can also cause emotional symptoms, such as anxiety and irritability.

What are risk factors for Cognitive Impairment?

·      Age

·      Female gender

·      Arterial hypertension

·      Hypercholesterolemia

·      Obesity

·      Sedentary lifestyle

·      Smoking

·      Insulin resistance

·      Inflammation

·      Previous traumatic head injuries

How does inflammation cause Cognitive Impairment?

·      When infection or inflammation becomes chronic, high levels of free radicals are generated, and there is an increase of free radical activity in neurons

·      A state of oxidative stress can cause the production of NF-kB, a transcription factor which stimulates the release of various inflammatory cytokines

·      Microglial cells (macrophages responsible for removing damaged neurons) activated by Beta-amyloid can release protein kinase C, thus prolonging inflammation

·      The brain has limited capacity to counteract the high rate of oxidative stress

Why is it important that we address Cognitive Impairment?

There is a common misconception that cognitive impairment is an inevitable part of ageing, and, as such, cannot be prevented. Although age is a major risk factor, there are many lifestyle protocols that can prevent and reduce symptoms.

 It is important that we prioritise methods of prevention, as Alzheimer’s and Dementia are extremely prevalent in 21st century society: one in fourteen people live with one of these conditions, and experts predict that this number will only grow in the future.

Look out for our next blogpost, in which we will discuss strategies for prevention of cognitive impairment.