15. Psychogeriatrics Flashcards
Major Neurocognitive Disorder
Significant cognitive decline from a previous level of performance in 1 or more of the following domains:
- Attention
- Executive function
- Learning and memory
- Language
- Perceptual motor
- Social cognition
+ affect independence in performing daily activities
Which allele enhances risk of cognitive decline a/w depressive symptoms?
APOE-E4 allele
Mild Neurocognitive Disorder
Modest cognitive decline from a previous level of performance in 1 or more of the following domains:
- Attention
- Executive function
- Learning and memory
- Language
- Perceptual motor
- Social cognition
+ do NOT affect independence in performing daily activities
Which delusion is common in dementia patients?
Delusion of theft (accusing caregivers of stealing items)
Which delusion is common in delirium patients?
Persecutory delusions
Examples of cortical dementia
- Alzheimer disease
- Fronto-temporal lobe dementia
Cognitive assessment for dementia
Mini mental state examination
Montreal cognitive assessment
Assessing Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)
Basic: DEATH
Dressing
Eating
Ambulating
Toileting
Hygiene
Advanced: SHAFT
Shopping
Housekeeping
Accounting
Food/meds prep
Transportation/Telephone
Irreversible causes of dementia
Alzheimer’s
Vascular dementia
Lewy body dementia
Fronto-temporal dementia
Reversible causes of dementia
Normal pressure hydrocephalus
Subdural hematoma (bridging veins)
Vitamin B12 deficiency
Neurosyphilis (venereal disease research laboratory)
Hypothyroidism
Risk factors associated with Alzheimer’s disease
- Old age*** (most significant risk factor)
- APOE E4 allele
- Head injury
- Down syndrome
- Poor linguistic skills
Protective factors against Alzheimer disease
- High education level
- High physical activity level
- APOE E2 allele
- Late retirement
- Consumption of fish
Onset of Alzheimer disease
Insidious, gradual decline, progressive onset
How does Down syndrome increase risk of Alzheimer’s dementia?
Amyloid precursor protein gene is found in chromosome 21
In trisomy 21, APP increases, forming amyloid plaques and increases risk of Alzheimer’s developing at an earlier age
Clinical features in Alzheimer’s disease
- Clear evidence of memory decline
- Gradual decline in memory over time
- Psychotic symptoms (visual hallucination more common than auditory)
- Behavioural changes
- Personality changes
- Orientation (disorientation in time)
- Neurological features
- reduction in REM sleep, frequent nocturnal waking periods and shortened sleep periods
Management of Alzheimer’s disease
- Mild AD: Consider cognitive stimulation programme
- Moderate AD: Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors: donepezil (+VaD), galantamine, rivastigmine (+LBD)
- Severe AD: Memantine
Side effects of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors
Diarrhoea
Urination
Miosis
Muscle cramps
Bradycardia*
Bronchospasm
Emesis
Lacrimation
Lethargy
Salivation
Seizures
*can remember MIND mnemonic
- Muscle cramps
- Insomnia
- Nausea
- Diarrhoea
Side effects of memantine
CHECK mnemonic
Confusion
Headache
Equilibrium - Nausea
Constipation
Kidney function
Onset of vascular dementia
Unpredictable course, abrupt stepwise deterioration
Vascular dementia vs Alzheimer’s dementia
VaD
- abrupt stepwise deterioration
- executive function/apraxia is first to go
- memory loss later
- dysarthria
- presence of cerebrovascular event, HTN, atherosclerosis
- worse prognosis (3 years)
AD
- gradual, progressive decline
- memory loss/amnesia is first to go
- acalculi, apathy
- better prognosis (6 years)
Frontotemporal dementia features
Frontal changes
- Behavioural changes: Disinhibition
- Impulsivity
- Personality
Temporal changes
- Speech changes: speech production, word finding, object naming, grammar or word comprehension
Brain changes seen in Alzheimer’s dementia
Amyloid plaques
Neurofibrillary tangles
Brain changes seen in frontotemporal dementia
Frontotemporal atrophy
Gliosis of white matter in the frontal lobes
Intracellular inclusions
Swollen neurons
Lewy body dementia triad
- Cognitive impairment
- Parkinsonism features
- Visual hallucinations
Lewy body dementia vs Parkinsonism dementia
LBD:
- dementia first then Parkinsonism features
Parkinsonism dementia
- Parkinsonism features then dementia