Cognitive function

Why Would I Need Cognitive Testing? Older people will routinely receive cognitive tests during wellness checkups because they're more at risk for conditions that cause cognitive impairments. Early detection can be vital in treating or slowing down many of the causal conditions, so older adults should get tested regularly. This is especially true for those with ‌ People of all ages can receive cognitive testing though, and not all symptoms and conditions that lead to cognitive impairment are caused by age. ‌ You might seek out cognitive testing if you experience any of the following symptoms: • Not remembering appointments or social events • Frequently misplacing objects in your house • Repeating questions • Difficulty understanding or remembering movies or TV shows • Having a hard time understanding pieces of information told to you • Needing to make lists • Forgetting significant parts of your past • Getting lost often • Not remembering words • Irritability • If you notice any of these symptoms or if people in your life tell you that you exhibit them, you should let your doctor know. These are the key symptoms of cognitive impairment. Cognitive tests show whether you have cognitive impairment or not. Cognitive impairment can be caused by many things, including: • Unwelcome side effects of medication • • Depression • Dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease • Thyroid disease • Vitamin deficiencies • What Do Cognitive Tests Show? Cognitive testing doesn't show what condition...

The Myers and Briggs personality system is more complex than it appears at first glance. Beyond the basic four-letter structure, the overall framework of the MBTI® assessment includes eight cognitive functions, which reveal how your mind works and how you relate to the world at large. They guide your interactions with others and your environment. They also explain how your belief systems emerge and how they influence your thinking and behavior. The cognitive functions are a useful tool for revealing the dynamic qualities of personality, translated into the actual practice of living in the real world. The Cognitive Functions in theory and practice The starting point is Using Jung’s ideas as a template, Isabel Briggs Myers modified the Myers and Briggs personality typing system to include eight cognitive functions — twice as many as Jung identified. She kept Jung’s initial four functions (identified by the letters S, N, T, and F in the Myers-Briggs typing system), but added ‘extraverted’ and ‘introverted’ options for each (signified by ‘e’ or ‘i’ in lower case). So an To clarify: extraverted or introverted in this case do not refer to how outgoing someone is (or isn’t). Instead, they relate to the outward or inward focus of each function. Extraverted functions express themselves through an immersion in the external world, while introverted functions are defined by a process of inner self-reflection. More on that in a moment. How this interacts with the four-letter personalit...

Overview Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is the stage between the expected decline in memory and thinking that happens with age and the more serious decline of dementia. MCI may include problems with memory, language or judgment. People with MCI may be aware that their memory or mental function has "slipped." Family and close friends also may notice changes. But these changes aren't bad enough to impact daily life or affect usual activities. Symptoms The brain, like the rest of the body, changes with age. Many people notice they become more forgetful as they age. It may take longer to think of a word or to recall a person's name. If concerns with mental function go beyond what's expected, the symptoms may be due to mild cognitive impairment (MCI). MCI may be the cause of changes in thinking if: • You forget things more often. • You miss appointments or social events. • You lose your train of thought. Or you can't follow the plot of a book or movie. • You have trouble following a conversation. • You find it hard to make decisions, finish a task or follow instructions. • You start to have trouble finding your way around places you know well. • You begin to have poor judgment. • Your family and friends notice any of these changes. If you have MCI, you also may experience: • Depression • Anxiety • A short temper and aggression • A lack of interest When to see a doctor Talk to your health care provider if you or someone close to you notices you're having problems with memory or...

Every brain changes with age, and mental function changes along with it. Mental decline is common, and it's one of the most feared consequences of aging. But cognitive impairment is not inevitable. Here are 12 ways you can help maintain brain function. 1. Get mental stimulation Through research with mice and humans, scientists have found that brainy activities stimulate new connections between nerve cells and may even help the brain generate new cells, developing neurological "plasticity" and building up a functional reserve that provides a hedge against future cell loss. Any mentally stimulating activity should help to build up your brain. Read, take courses, try "mental gymnastics," such as word puzzles or math problems Experiment with things that require manual dexterity as well as mental effort, such as drawing, painting, and other crafts. 2. Get physical exercise Research shows that using your muscles also helps your mind. Animals who exercise regularly increase the number of tiny blood vessels that bring oxygen-rich blood to the region of the brain that is responsible for thought. Exercise also spurs the development of new nerve cells and increases the connections between brain cells ( synapses). This results in brains that are more efficient, plastic, and adaptive, which translates into better performance in aging animals. Exercise also lowers blood pressure, improves cholesterol levels, helps blood sugar balance and reduces mental stress, all of which can help your...

Brain exercises may help boost and maintain brain function. Memory games, learning new skills, crosswords, and even video games may help. Although the brain gets plenty of exercise every day, certain activities may help boost brain function and connectivity. This in turn may help protect the brain from age-related degeneration. The brain is always active, even during sleep. However, certain activities can engage the brain in new ways, potentially leading to improvements in memory, cognitive function, or creativity. This article outlines 22 brain exercises that may help boost memory, cognition, and creativity. Visualization involves forming a mental image to represent information. The mental image may be in the form of pictures or animated scenes. A People can practice visualization in their day-to-day lives. For example, before going shopping, people can visualize how they will get to and from the grocery store, and imagine what they will buy when they get there. The key is to imagine the scenes vividly and in as much detail as possible. Increasing one’s vocabulary range is a great way to broaden knowledge while exercising the brain. A simple way to increase vocabulary is to read a book or watch a TV program and note down any words that are unfamiliar. A person can then use a dictionary to look up the meaning of the word and think up ways to use the word in a sentence. Brain exercises can be as simple as actively engaging the brain in everyday tasks. Others are targeted wo...