text: There are different approaches to assessing or diagnosing a cognitive impairment including neuropsychological testing using various different tests that consider the different domains of cognition. Examples of shorter assessment clinical tools include the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). There are many different syndromes and pathologies that cause cognitive impairments including dementia or major neurocognitive disorder and alzheimer's disease.
  Cause
  Cognitive impairments may be caused by many different factors including environmental factors or injuries to the brain (e.g. traumatic brain injury), neurological illnesses, or mental disorders. While more common in elderly people, not all people who are elderly have cognitive impairments. Some known causes of cognitive impairments that are more common in younger people are: chromosomal abnormalities or genetic syndromes, exposure to teratogens or birth-defect causing agents while in utero (e.g. prenatal exposure to drugs), undernourishment, poisonings, autism, and child abuse. Stroke, dementia, mental health disorders such as depression or schizophrenia, drug, substance, or alcohol abuse, brain tumours, nutritional deficiencies or malnutrition, brain injuries, hormonal disorders, and other chronic disorders may result in cognitive impairment with aging. Cognitive impairment may also be caused by a pathology in the brain. Examples include Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, dementia caused by HIV, Lewy Body dementia, Huntington disease.
  Short term cognitive impairments can be caused by pharmaceutical agents or drugs such as tranquilizers or sedatives.