Functional Cognitive Disorder: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Differentiation from Secondary Causes of Cognitive Difficulties

Abstract

Functional cognitive disorder is an increasingly common cause of referral to the memory clinic. As a substantial source of disability, clinicians involved in the management of patients with cognitive complaints need to familiarize themselves with this important differential diagnosis. Our approach focuses on the identification of positive features of internal inconsistency (historical and clinical clues alongside patterns of performance) instead of an exclusionary approach. Although effective treatments are desperately needed, promising therapies include metacognitive retraining and cognitive-behavioral therapy modalities. Future research should focus on a better understanding of disease trajectories and outcomes as well as the development of evidence-based interventions.

Keywords: Cognitive disorders; Dementia; Functional cognitive disorder; Functional neurological disorder; Metacognition; Subjective cognitive impairment.