Cortical dementia describes a type of cognitive impairment primarily resulting from damage or disease affecting the cerebral cortex—the outer layer of the brain responsible for complex cognitive functions.
This form of dementia is characterised by pronounced deficits in memory (particularly the rapid forgetting of newly learned information), language disturbances (such as aphasia), perceptual difficulties (agnosia), and the loss of learned motor skills (apraxia). Problems with abstract thinking, recognition, and calculation are also common.
Unlike subcortical dementia, cortical dementias often spare motor speed and coordination in the earlier stages, but profoundly disrupt higher-order cognitive abilities.
Alzheimer’s disease and some forms of frontotemporal dementia are classic examples where cortical damage gives rise to these patterns of impairment. Identifying the hallmarks of cortical dementia is crucial for differential diagnosis and has important implications for prognosis, management, and support strategies.
Note however, that as a result of the brain’s interconnections, the categorisation of cortical versus sub-cortical is one of convenience and neuropsychological disorders and deficits do not typically fall wholly within one category.
