Landsberg Gary, Araujo Joseph A
Doncaster Animal Clinic, 99 Henderson Avenue, Thornhill, Ontario L3T2K9, Canada.
Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2005 May;35(3):675-98. doi: 10.1016/j.cvsm.2004.12.008.
Aging pets often suffer a decline in cognitive function (eg, memory,learning, perception, awareness) likely associated with age-dependent brain alterations. Clinically, cognitive dysfunction may result in various behavioral signs, including disorientation; forgetting of previously learned behaviors, such as house training; alterations in the manner in which the pet interacts with people or other pets;onset of new fears and anxiety; decreased recognition of people, places, or pets; and other signs of deteriorating memory and learning ability. Many medical problems, including other forms of brain pathologic conditions, can contribute to these signs. The practitioner must first determine the cause of the behavioral signs and then determine an appropriate course of treatment, bearing in mind the constraints of the aging process. A diagnosis of cognitive dysfunction syndrome is made once other medical and behavioral causes are ruled out.
老龄宠物常出现认知功能（如记忆、学习、感知、意识）衰退，这可能与年龄相关的脑部改变有关。临床上，认知功能障碍可能导致各种行为迹象，包括迷失方向；忘记先前学会的行为，如室内排便训练；宠物与人或其他宠物互动方式的改变；新的恐惧和焦虑的出现；对人、地点或宠物的识别能力下降；以及其他记忆和学习能力衰退的迹象。许多医学问题，包括其他形式的脑部病理状况，都可能导致这些迹象。从业者必须首先确定行为迹象的原因，然后在考虑衰老过程限制因素的情况下确定适当的治疗方案。一旦排除其他医学和行为原因，即可诊断为认知功能障碍综合征。
