ABSTRACT
The assessment of mental functions such as memory, concentration, language, intelligence, reasoning and judgement is a cornerstone of psychiatric practice. Impairment is germane to important disorders such as learning disability and the dementias, while there is some relevance to just about every other major diagnosis in psychiatry. It has been demonstrated repeatedly that poor cognitive ability is associated with both increased risk for mental disorder, and poorer personal and social function. A thorough understanding of cognitive function can, therefore, illuminate patient formulation to a surprising degree and may inform management in terms of how the patient can be expected to function in the future. This is particularly consequential for rehabilitation.
