Cognitive Impairment: Symptoms

What other symptoms might occur with cognitive impairment?

Cognitive impairment may accompany other symptoms, which vary depending on the underlying disease, disorder or condition. Symptoms that frequently affect the brain may also involve other body systems or disorders.

Infection symptoms that may occur along with cognitive impairment

Cognitive impairment may accompany symptoms related to infection including:

• Fever
• Headache
• Malaise or lethargy
• Muscle twitching, spasms or seizures
• Nausea with or without vomiting
• Rash
• Stiff or rigid neck

Metabolic symptoms that may occur along with cognitive impairment

Cognitive impairment may accompany other symptoms related to metabolic disorders including:

• Abdominal pain
• Abnormal heart rhythm such as rapid heart rate (tachycardia) or slow heart rate (bradycardia)
• Changes in skin
• Confusion or loss of consciousness for even a brief moment
• Difficulty breathing or rapid breathing
• Nausea with or without vomiting
• Fatigue
• Feeling very thirsty
• Frequent urination or decrease in urine output
• Fruity breath
• Muscle weakness

Other symptoms that may occur along with cognitive impairment

Cognitive impairment may accompany symptoms related to other problems, such as injury, stroke or dementia. These symptoms may include:

• Change in sleep patterns
• Changes in mood, personality or behavior
• Confusion or loss of consciousness for even a brief moment
• Difficulty with memory, thinking, talking, comprehension, writing or reading
• Impaired balance and coordination
• Loss of vision or changes in vision
• Nausea with or without vomiting
• Numbness, weakness or paralysis
• Seizure
• Severe headache

Serious symptoms that might indicate a life-threatening condition

In some cases, cognitive impairment may be a symptom of a life-threatening condition that should be immediately evaluated in an emergency setting. Seek immediate medical care (call 911) if you, or someone you are with, have any of these life-threatening symptoms including:

• Change in level of consciousness or alertness such as passing out or unresponsiveness
• Change in mental status or sudden behavior change such as confusion, delirium, lethargy, hallucinations or delusions
• Garbled or slurred speech or inability to speak
• High fever (higher than 101 degrees Fahrenheit)
• High-pitched, shrill cries in an infant or small child
• Paralysis or inability to move a body part
• Poor feeding, unusual sleepiness, or irritability in a child or infant
• Seizure
• Stiff or rigid neck
• Sudden change in vision, loss of vision, or eye pain
• Trauma to the head
• Worst headache of your life