HETEROGENEITY OF COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING AND ITS DISORDERS [HETEROGENICZNO FUNKCJONOWANIA POZNAWCZEGO I JEGO ZABURZE ]

Objectives: Neuropsychological literature suggests that there is a link between changes occurring in one’s brain as a result of aging and cognitive processes. Age-related cognitive functioning variation does not follow a one specific pattern. The rate of aging of particular neurophysiological and cognitive processes is characterized by intraindividual disharmonies and interindividual differences. The purpose of the study was to characterize thecognitive processes in the elderly people.Methods: The presented research involves 79 people who are divided into two groups: experimental and control one. Experimental group (N=44) consists of people who are 65 years of age. Control group (N=35) includes the adults in the 40 to 55 age band. The methods used in the research are popular neuropsychological tests.Results: For the purpose of the present study, a profile analysis was performed. Although cognitive problems could be considered a typical feature of the elderly people, its character seemed to be heterogenous in light of the inter- and intrapersonal comparisons.Conclusions: There was regularity that in the elderly people was the prevalence of executive dysfunctions. The most difficult task was the one involving working memory, the one requiring divisibility of attention, switching and concentration of attention.