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Types of Cognitive Problems You Might Expect in PD Cases

Parkinson's disease aka PD is often viewed as a chronic illness that affects motor coordination only. However, doctors are increasingly recognizing that other problems are also manifested as well such as cognitive impairment. Thought processes, memory, attention span and memory alterations are a part of PD. For the most part, most treatments for the disease focus on motor skill improvement; therefore, the cognitive problems sometimes are ignored or not treated.

Predominance of Cognitive Problems

If you are looking to understand cognition, it is a broad term that is used to categorize a number of mental abilities, namely the brain's ability to process, store and utilize information. Attention span, memory, language, conceptual thinking, concrete problem solving and even visual perception are all involved areas of cognitive thinking. It is important to note that virtually all people with Parkinson's disease will experience some type of interruption in cognitive function and can range from minor issues to more severe problems.

You may consider a cognitive impairment as a minor inconvenience while another may experience issues severe enough to impact quality of life. Dementia is classified as a cognitive impairment and this involves several interruptions in the cognitive area. Some Parkinson's patients may have mild motor coordination problems but have dementia which calls for supervised living while others may not develop dementia until the latest stages of Parkinson's.

Cognitive difficulties are often classified in different areas so that experts can better identify ways to help. It is important to note that your general intelligence and memories acquired before PD usually stay with you. If you develop a cognitive issue, memories and skills learned after PD cognitive symptoms are displayed could be lost and have to be relearned. Here are a few examples of cognitive dysfunction:

* Memory interruption - If you have already learned certain information, it is not uncommon to forget something or how to do it without memory cues. When you have PD, having visual cues helps to retain information as well as repetition, especially if you want to recall that information later.

* Executive dysfunction - This is a broad term that covers problem solving, project planning and other mental acrobatic tasks. Freezing mid-task is common so it is important for PD patients to focus on one thing at a time.

* Attention deficit - Not quite like ADD, in PD patients, there is a problem with attention. It is best to focus on one thing at a time as multi-tasking can cause problems. For instance, PD patients may find it hard to take a leisurely walk and talk with a companion at the same time. Even listening to music and walking can be an issue.

* Slowed cognitive function - Sometimes the ability to retrieve memories or process information that pertains to a problem can be an issue with PD patients. This condition called bradyphrenia can cut short your independence, especially in the workplace.

Memory devices and visual cues are the best things that can prompt your memory should cognitive function become an issue. In addition, some doctors are prescribing medications used on Alzheimer's patients in the hopes it can slow down the progression of the disease or stop it all together, at least cognitive-wise.