Pyroptosis is a form of programmed cell death， which is closely related to inflammatory responses and is caused by pathogen infection or non-infectious factors. It is one of the main innate immune defense mechanisms of the body. Pyroptosis is involved in the occurrence and development of various systemic diseases in the body. The current research is more in-depth in cognitive dysfunction related diseases， such as Alzheimer disease， vascular cognitive impairment， and perioperative neurocognitive disorders. The inflammasome plays a key role in the pyroptosis signaling pathway. In this paper， the mechanism of pyroptosis and its role and impact on cognitive dysfunction are reviewed， aiming to provide targets for the prevention and treatment of cognitive dysfunction， and provide ideas for related research.