Cognition is a term that describes the many mental activities that happen in the brain. These mental activities have many purposes. They allow us to think, concentrate, learn, communicate, solve problems, and remember. We need cognition to allow us to interact with and understand the world around us.

The term cognition describes our mental activities, such as thinking and remembering. These mental activities depend on a brain that works well. Different aspects of cognition depend on different brain areas and the connections between them. For this reason, neurocognition is the term that describes how a specific mental activity is linked with specific brain areas.

Healthy cognition means that thinking and remember things to perform our everyday activities is not difficult. Healthy cognition relies on a healthy brain. When our brain works well, we do not have a problem performing mental activities. We can think, concentrate, learn, communicate, and remember information in the world around us.

Usually people face some change in their thinking or memory as they grow older. This is not something we should worry about. In fact, there are many everyday tasks we can do to keep our cognition healthy. On the other hand, sometimes our brain does not work as well as it used to because we have had a head injury or because of disease (e.g., stroke, concussion, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s). If our brain is damaged then this means that we will probably also have some trouble with our thinking or memory. If your memory ability changes and disrupts your daily life, or if you are often confused with time, places, or lose track of dates, this is not part of cognitive decline linked with aging. It is important to follow up on any change or decline in cognitive ability to rule out neurocognitive disorder or disease.

Our mental ability to think, learn, concentrate, and remember is linked to how the brain works. When the brain is damaged in some way, through disease or head injury, there can be neurocognitive symptoms. For example, we might notice that we find it more difficult to concentrate or learn or remember information than we would have a few months or years ago. Neurocognitive disorders are a group of conditions that affect the way we think or remember.

Cognitive tests explore how well we can perform mental activities. By using them, we try to describe and explain a person's mental processing ability and whether this is typical for their age. Tests might ask you to learn or remember new information, spot patterns, solve problems, or concentrate on a task. Neurocognitive tests are very helpful for identifying strengths and weaknesses in your mental activity. They can also help us to detect parts of your thinking that are weak or impaired. This allows you to work on weak areas of cognition to improve them or to be referred to, for example, a neurologist, who can examine the brain areas linked to weak parts of cognition.

Cognitive assessments can take anywhere from 1 hour to 6 hours, depending on the person’s unique situation. There are regular breaks during testing. You can also ask questions during the assessment process. Sometimes, you will be asked to bring a family member or close friend with you.

Cognitive assessment feedback will either be given immediately after the testing session or you will receive feedback 2 to 3 weeks after the assessment.

When you receive a consultation and assessment with a qualified psychologist, most health insurers (e.g., VHI) cover part of the cost. Please review your health insurance plan to see whether your consultation at SEACA is fully or partly covered.

Yes, when your general / medical practitioner has advised you to see, or referred you to, a qualified psychologist, cognitive assessments are eligible for tax relief. Tax relief is typically claimed at 20% on the cost of the health assessment expense. Please see Revenue.ie for more information.