
Cognitive abilities or functions: definition, examples, and exercises for improving them
Cognition or cognitive functions are mental processesthat allow us to receive, process and elaborate information. They allow individuals to have an active role in the processes of interaction, perception, and comprehension of the environment, which in turn enables them to navigate the world around them.
Cognitive abilities allow us to carry out any task, therefore we use them constantly to learn and remember information, integrate information regarding personal history and identity, manage information relatingto the time or moment one is living and to whereone is heading, maintain and shift attention, recognize different sounds, process different stimuli, perform calculations or represent and mentally manipulate objects.
All the activities we do require using our cognitive functions, which involves millions of neuronal connections distributed throughout the brain lobes and the activation of different brain areas to interactsafely with our environment and process the information we obtain through differentpathways.
Cognitive functions
Types and examples of cognitive abilities:
- Personal
- Temporal
- Spatial
- Processing speed
- Sustained attention
- Selective attention
- Alternating attention
- Hemineglect
- Semantic
- Episodic
- Procedural
- Expression
- Comprehension
- Vocabulary
- Naming
- Fluency
- Discrimination
- Repetition
- Reading
- Writing
- Working memory
- Reasoning
- Planning
- Inhibition
- Flexibility
- Decision making
- Time estimation
- Dual-task performance
- Branching
- Visual
- Auditory
- Tactile
- Gustatory
- Olfactory
- Body schema
- Facial
- Ideomotor
- Ideational
- Visuoconstructive
- Spatial relations
- Spatial visualization
Cognitive impairments
Cognitive disorders, as the name suggests, affect cognitive abilities. Individuals who suffer from cognitive disordersthereby have impairmentsin memory, executive function, language, praxis, gnosis, etc.
Below, we recommend different activitiesfor improving cognitive functiondepending onthe type of cognitive function or processto be rehabilitated.
Activities for improving cognitive function or cognitive abilities
This is a compilation of exercises or activities arranged by cognitive ability. Move the mouse over the image links to see what functions are trained in the different activities and have access to blogs addressing the rehabilitation of eachspecific function.
- Worksheetsto improve gnosis
https://blog.neuronup.com/en/cognitive-stimulation-worksheets-gnosis/
- Worksheets for improving attention and memory in children and adults
https://blog.neuronup.com/en/worksheets-improve-attention-memory-children-adults/ - Exercises to improve attention
https://blog.neuronup.com/en/exercises-improve-attention/
- Activities to improve memory
https://blog.neuronup.com/en/activities-improve-memory/ - Memory games for seniors
https://blog.neuronup.com/en/memory-games-seniors/ - Activities to improve executive functions
https://blog.neuronup.com/en/activities-to-improve-executive-functions/ - Activities for improving reasoning in childrenhttps://blog.neuronup.com/en/activities-improving-reasoning-children/
- Social cognition activities
https://blog.neuronup.com/en/social-cognition-activities/
- Social skills games
https://blog.neuronup.com/en/social-skills/
- Exercises for the rehabilitation of visuospatial skills
https://blog.neuronup.com/en/exercises-rehabilitation-visuospatial-skills/ - Exercises to improve praxis
https://blog.neuronup.com/en/exercises-improve-praxis/ - Exercises for improving language
https://blog.neuronup.com/en/exercises-improving-language/ - Activities for improving orientation
https://blog.neuronup.com/en/activities-for-improving-orientation/
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Muy útil este resumen de habilidades cognitivas como tabla de contenidos.
Excelente material, muchas gracias por tu aporte.
¡Gracias a ti Carla!
Aprovechamos la posibilidad de recordate que, si eres profesional, puedes solicitar la demo gratuita de NeuronUP durante 10 días para probar todas nuestras actividades: https://www.neuronup.com/es/request/demo/ext/4
¡Un saludo!