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Home › Conditions › Cognitive Dysfunction

Cognitive Dysfunction

Subtypes of Cognitive Dysfunction

Mild Cognitive Impairment 57 Cognitive Decline 11 Postoperative cognitive dysfunction 4 Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment 3 Postoperative cognitive complications 1

76 published articles · Updated continuously

Clinical Trial Landscape

Clinical Trials for Cognitive Dysfunction

21 trials tracked for Cognitive Dysfunction: 3 in phase 3 or 4 and 1 with published results. The most-cited published study has 20 citations.

21Trials tracked
3Phase 3 & 4
0Recruiting
1With published results
Phase distribution
Phase 4 1 Phase 3 2 Phase 2 5 Phase 1 1 Other / NA 12
  1. Phase 3 Phase 3 Randomized Placebo Controlled Clinical Trial of Donepezil Completed · 20 cited
  2. Phase 4 Effect of Intraoperative Dexmedetomidine on Early Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction Completed
  3. Phase 3 Renew NCP-5 for the Treatment of Mild Cognitive Impairment Due to Alzheimer's Disease (AD) or Mild Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type Completed
  4. Phase 2 A Study to Evaluate the Safety and Tolerability of SAGE-718 in Participants With Mild Cognitive Impairment or Mild Dementia Due to Alzheimer's Disease (AD) Completed
  5. Phase 2 A Study to Evaluate the Safety and Tolerability of SAGE-718 in Participants With Parkinson's Disease Mild Cognitive Impairment (PD-MCI) Completed
  6. Phase 2 A Study to Evaluate the Effects of SAGE-718 in Participants With Parkinson's Disease Cognitive Impairment Completed
Show 15 more trials
  1. Phase 2 Improving Cognitive Health in COVID-19 Survivors Completed
  2. Phase 2 N-acetylcysteine and NMDA Antagonist Interactions Completed
  3. Phase 1 Bicarbonate Administration and Cognitive Function in Midlife and Older Adults With CKD Completed
  4. N/A CAMCI: Advancing the Use of Computerized Screening in Healthcare Completed
  5. N/A A Relational Research Recruitment and Engagement Intervention for Cognitive Aging Research Completed
  6. N/A Probing Cortical Excitability and Cognitive Function With TMS Completed
  7. N/A Effect of an Antioxidants Mix on Cognitive Performance and Well Being: The Bacopa, Licopene, Astaxantina, Vitamin B12 Completed
  8. N/A Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction as Geriatric Syndrome Completed
  9. N/A Lifestyle Physical Activity and Cognitive Training Interventions Completed
  10. N/A Intensive Aerobic and Resistance Exercise Program (IAREP) Completed
  11. N/A Cognitive Remediation for Alcohol Use Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Completed
  12. N/A Noninvasive Brain Stimulation for Mild Cognitive Impairment Completed
  13. N/A Feasibility of the Memory and Attention Adaptation-Training Geriatrics Intervention in Older Cancer Survivors With Mild Cognitive Impairment Completed
  14. N/A Physical Activity and Neuropsychological Outcomes in a Cancer Population Completed
  15. N/A Development and Evaluation of Virtual Reality Experiences for Cognitive Stimulation at the Sociosanitary Center El Carme Completed

Showing the 21 most-cited and recently-updated of 21 trials. Browse the full registry →

Trial data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. Counts describe the research landscape and are not a treatment recommendation. Informational only — not medical advice.

Cognitive Dysfunction: current evidence & treatments

Cognitive dysfunction is associated with various medical conditions and risk factors. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is linked to a 53% higher odds of cognitive impairment (OR 1.53) 6. In patients with atrial fibrillation, a history of hypertension increases the risk of cognitive impairment (OR 2.22) 7. Among coronary heart disease patients, the pooled prevalence of cognitive impairment is 36.6%, with age as a significant risk factor (OR 1.10) 22. Depression is associated with an increased risk of progression from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease or dementia 14. Additionally, food insecurity in older adults is linked to poorer diet quality and higher obesity risk, which may contribute to cognitive decline 1.

Several interventions show promise for improving cognitive function. Combined exercise and dietary supplementation modestly improves global cognition in mild cognitive impairment (SMD 0.15) 2. Acupuncture alone significantly outperforms placebo (effect size 1.09) and Western medicine alone (effect size 0.45) for Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment 3. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) improves global cognition in Alzheimer's and MCI (SMD 0.49) 13, and combined exercise and tDCS also shows benefit (SMD 0.62) 21. Computerized cognitive training yields moderate improvement in overall cognitive function for MCI 18. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation improves global cognition and executive function in MCI 16. Music therapy may improve cognition and neuropsychiatric symptoms 9, and combined virtual reality and music therapy alleviates cognitive impairment 5. Ashwagandha supplementation improves memory (SMD 0.52), attention (SMD 0.29), and executive function (SMD -0.42) 20. Zingiberaceae-derived interventions (e.g., curcumin) improve memory-related outcomes (SMD 0.19) 19.

Biomarkers and diagnostic tools are being explored. Higher peripheral Galectin-3 levels are found in cognitive impairment (WMD 0.85) 11. Retinal biomarkers (RNFL and GCL-IPL thickness) measured by OCT may differentiate frontotemporal dementia from Alzheimer's disease 10. AI-assisted PET radiomics achieves high accuracy (AUC 0.96) for distinguishing Alzheimer's from MCI, outperforming conventional amyloid-PET 17. Preclinical evidence suggests Atractylenolide III has neuroprotective effects in cognitive impairment models 8. Loneliness in younger men is associated with cognitive decline 4. PRKRA gene variants are enriched in tinnitus patients with MCI 15. Cognitive dysfunction is common after pediatric liver transplant (24% incidence) 24, and ICU CogHab cognitive rehabilitation is being studied in ICU survivors 25. Ferroptosis may play a role in postoperative cognitive dysfunction in older surgical patients 12. Soil contaminants and micronutrient depletion are linked to neurodegenerative processes 23.

Latest findings

AI-generated synthesis of 25 cited studies, updated Jun 12, 2026. How we use AI.

HCP Mode — summaries include clinical detail, trial data, and statistical outcomes.
Patient Mode — summaries use plain language, avoiding clinical jargon.
Self-management and glycemic control linked to lower MCI risk in rural elderly with type 2 diabetes
Diabetes & Endocrinology Cohort
Self-management and glycemic control linked to lower MCI risk in rural elderly with type 2 diabetes Better diabetes self-care linked to lower cognitive decline risk in rural elderly study
A cohort study of 232 rural Chinese elderly with type 2 diabetes found improved self-management behaviors, fewer depressive symptoms, and be…
Better diabetes self-care and mood control in older adults with type 2 diabetes were linked to a lower risk of memory problems in a rural Ch…
Frontiers Apr 5, 2026
COVID-19 survivors show brain network alterations in default mode and limbic systems
Neurology Cohort
COVID-19 survivors show brain network alterations in default mode and limbic systems Does COVID-19 change how your brain is wired? A new map suggests it might
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 703 COVID-19 survivors and 596 healthy controls across 19 neuroimaging studies found structural and…
A new brain map shows COVID-19 survivors often have changes in the same networks used for daydreaming and emotions.
Frontiers Apr 3, 2026
Plant-based diet adherence associated with lower cognitive impairment risk in meta-analysis
Nutrition & Obesity Medicine Meta-analysis
Plant-based diet adherence associated with lower cognitive impairment risk in meta-analysis Plant-based diets linked to lower dementia risk in large review of studies
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 221,380 adults without baseline cognitive impairment found greater adherence to plant-based diets w…
People following healthful plant-based diets face a 26% lower risk of dementia, while unhealthful versions of these diets may actually incre…
Apr 2, 2026
Meta-analysis finds distinct fMRI activation patterns in MCI and Alzheimer's disease during cognitive tasks
Neurology Meta-analysis
Meta-analysis finds distinct fMRI activation patterns in MCI and Alzheimer's disease during cognitive tasks What happens in the brain when memory starts to slip? A new analysis maps the changes
A coordinate-based meta-analysis of 90 task-based fMRI studies (N=2824) found spatial convergence of aberrant brain activation in patients w…
When memory fades, brain scans show activity shifting to sound and hearing areas in Alzheimer's, while mild impairment affects spatial and s…
Apr 2, 2026

Questions about Cognitive Dysfunction

How common is cognitive dysfunction in children who have had a liver transplant?

About 24% of children who have a liver transplant experience cognitive dysfunction, with higher rates in those transplanted before age 1 (39.4%) and in Asia (30.6%).

Full answer →