Functional (Psychogenic) Cognitive Disorders: A Perspective from the Neurology Clinic
Jon Stone1, Suvankar Pal1,2, Daniel Blackburn3
1Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Crewe Rd, Edinburgh, UK.
Journal of Alzheimer'S Disease : JAD
|October 8, 2015
Summary
Many patients seeking neurological opinions for memory loss do not have dementia. This article explores functional cognitive disorders and other non-dementia causes, emphasizing accurate diagnosis for better patient management.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Psychiatry
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Cognitive symptoms like memory and concentration issues are common reasons for neurological referrals.
- These symptoms often do not stem from underlying neurological diseases or dementia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a differential diagnosis perspective for cognitive symptoms in neurology clinics, focusing on non-dementia causes.
- To discuss functional cognitive disorders and other conditions mimicking dementia.
Main Methods:
- Review and personal perspective on the differential diagnosis of cognitive symptoms.
- Categorization of functional cognitive disorders and other non-dementia diagnoses.
Main Results:
- Identified six functional categories: anxiety/depression, focused normal symptoms, isolated functional cognitive disorder, health anxiety, other functional disorders, and psychogenic amnesia.
- Included non-dementia considerations: medication/substance misuse, non-dementia diseases, evolving neurological conditions, and exaggeration/malingering.
Conclusions:
- Accurate diagnosis of functional cognitive symptoms is crucial for patient care.
- Highlights the need for further research, including large cohort studies, to define and manage this patient group effectively.
Keywords:
Conversion disorderdissociative amnesiafunctional memory disordermalingeringmemorypsychogenicMore Related Videos
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