Cortical atrophy is a medical diagnosis indicating a degeneration of brain cells, which is why it’s sometimes called “brain atrophy.” The word “cortical” refers to the cortex of the brain, the outermost part of the brain that consists of six folded layers of connected neurons. The word “atrophy” refers to the action of wasting away or decreasing in volume. Diseases such as posterior cortical atrophy cause cortical atrophy in humans. The patient will show very different symptoms, depending on where atrophy is happening in the cortex.

Posterior cortical atrophy is a progressive degenerative disease, which means brain cells increasingly waste away over time. In this disease, cortical atrophy occurs in the posterior cortex at the back of the brain. This part of the brain houses the neurons that handle visual processing, so patients have problems with their vision, including difficulty recognizing faces, reading, and seeing in the dark. Vision decline with posterior cortical atrophy is inevitable as more cells die in that area of the brain.

People with posterior cortical atrophy eventually will begin to have difficulty with coordinated movements and literacy skills. These symptoms are expressed by difficulty using tools, putting on clothes, sitting on a chair, writing letters of the alphabet and spelling words. At a certain point during the course of the disease, cortical atrophy can extend to other areas of the brain and turn into full-blown dementia. These patients display further degeneration of memory, language and cognitive capacity.

Posterior cortical atrophy treatment involves prescription medication to slow down degeneration or help surviving brain cells function more effectively. Doctors often recommend that patients also supplement medication with occupational therapy. Occupational therapists assist the patient in adapting to daily life and living as independently as possible, even with faltering visual, motor and cognitive ability. Some patients can become depressed or irritable while dealing with the rapid loss of independence and can also benefit from antidepressant medication. These approaches treat the symptoms of the disease but, as of 2011, there is no cure for any type of cortical atrophy.

Possible risk factors for the development of cortical atrophy include tobacco use, alcohol use, head injury and genetic predisposition. When brain cells begin wasting away, patients have lower life expectancy. Other diseases that involve cortical atrophy include Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. Brain atrophy occurs in all humans as they grow older, but typically not to a clinical extent.