Neurocognitively

Neurocognitively is an adverb that relates to neurocognition, the set of mental processes supported by the brain that enable perception, attention, memory, language, and executive function. It is used to describe how cognitive functions are organized in neural systems, how they change across development or aging, and how they are affected by neurological or psychiatric conditions.

In research and assessment, neurocognitively relevant measures include neuropsychological tests, which characterize performance in domains such as memory and executive function, and neuroimaging or electrophysiological methods that link performance to brain structure and activity. Researchers distinguish tasks that recruit widespread networks from those that rely on specific regions, such as the hippocampus for memory or the prefrontal cortex for planning.

Clinical use includes studying and diagnosing neurocognitive disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, vascular cognitive impairment, mild cognitive impairment, traumatic brain injury, and HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder, which are defined by deficits in one or more cognitive domains with functional impact. The term also appears in discussions of cognitive development, aging, and psychiatric conditions, where neurocognitive profiles help guide treatment and prognosis.

Neurocognitively thus serves as a concise descriptor in neuroscience and psychology for statements about brain-based cognitive processes, their measurement, and their disruption. It sits at the intersection of cognitive neuroscience, neuropsychology, and psychiatry, reflecting the continuity between neural mechanisms and cognitive function.