Chronic Neurological Conditions Flashcards
What are the 2 Types of Seizures and their locations in the brain?
Focal Seizures - starts in one hemisphere and affects parts of body controlled by that part of the brain
Generalised Seizures - involves whole brain and affects the whole body
Alzheimer’s; Development, Presentation, Treatments
Development: Nerve cell death, cortex shrinkage, tangles and plaques around nerves
Presentation: Memory Loss, Confusion, Changes in mood and personality
Treatments: Galantamine, Rivastigmine and Donepezil
Multiple Sclerosis; Development, Presentation, Treatments
Development: Myelin sheaths of white matter in brain, spinal cord and optic nerves are destroyed -> slow and distorted of nerve impulse conduction
Presentation: Loss of vision, Loss of power, Fatigue
Treatment: Interferon Beta-1a/b
Dementia; Development, Presentation, Treatments
Development: Gradual brain dysfunction affecting mental capacity, memory, cognition and personality
Presentation: Confusion, Wandering, Repetitive
Treatments: Galantamine, Rivastigmine and Donepezil
Nurses’ Role
- Primary Prevention: Refer to encouraging health promotion
- Secondary Prevention: MMSE
- Detection and Assessment: Falls risk, ADL capacity
- Person-Centred: Provide consistency and quality rest, adapt interventions and education to stage of illness, admin and education re medications
Stages of Alzheimer’s
- Stage 1 (2-4 Years)
- Short term memory loss
- Decreased attention span
- Subtle personality changes
- Mild cognitive deficits
- Visuospatial deficits
- Stage 2 (2-12 Years)
- Impaired cognition
- Loss of abstract thinking
- Wandering
- Personality changes
- Impaired motor skills
- Stage 3 (2-4+ Years)
- Cognitive abilities grossly decreased
- Absent communication skills
- Gross motor skill impairment
Assessing Neurological Status
- Mental State Examinations
- Neurological Assessment
- GCS