What it means
How the brain takes in, stores and uses information: attention, memory, language, reasoning, judgment and orientation. Cognition can be impaired for a short time, as in deliriumdih-LEER-ee-umA sudden state of confusion and poor attention that comes and goes over hours or days.Full entry , or slowly and lastingly, as in dementia and Alzheimer diseaseAHLTS-hy-mer dih-ZEEZA brain disease that slowly destroys memory, thinking and the ability to do everyday tasks.Full entry . Head injury, stroke, low oxygen, drugs and infection can all affect it.
For the nurse
Know the client's usual level of thinking so you can spot a change. Check orientation, attention and memory, and report sudden confusion right away, as it may be delirium with a treatable cause.
At a glance
| Spanish | cognición |
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Related terms
Alzheimer disease
A brain disease that slowly destroys memory, thinking and the ability to do everyday tasks.
delirium
A sudden state of confusion and poor attention that comes and goes over hours or days.
mental status
A person's state of mind at a given time: how alert they are, what they know and how they think, speak and behave.
cerebral cortex
The thin, folded outer layer of the cerebrum, where thinking, language, memory, voluntary movement and sensation are handled.