17.7 Dementia and Degenerative Disorders Flashcards
Degeneration in what area of the brain will lead to movement problems?
Basal Ganglia - sometimes in the brainstem
What does degeneration of the cortex cause?
Dementia
Alzheimer’s Disease
Degenerative disease of the cortex
What is the most common cause of dementia?
Alzheimer’s Disease
The deposition of ______ leads to Alzheimer’s disease?
Aß-amyloid - cleaved form of amyloid precursor protein
What are the clinical features of Alzheimer’s disease?
- Slow memory loss
- Progressive disorientation
- Loss of learned motor skills
- Personality changes
- NO early focal neurologic deficits
Most cases of Alzheimer’s are ______
Sporadic
What is a genetic risk factor of Alzheimer’s?
Epsilon4-ApoE
What is a genetic decreased risk factor of Alzheimer’s?
Epsilon2-ApoE
What gene mutation is early onset Alzheimer’s associated with?
Presenlin-1 and 2
What is Alzheimer’s associated with?
Down Syndrome - amyloid precursor is found on Ch21 so there is increased Aß-amyloid
What will be seen on the brain of an Alzheimer’s patient?
Diffuse cortical atrophy - with narrowing of the gyri and widening of the sulci
Hydrocephalus Ex Vacuo
Consequence of brain atrophy where the ventricles of the CNS dilate
Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy
Deposition of Aß-amyloid into the blood vessels of the brain
What protein is present in neurofibrillary tangles?
Tau Protein that is hyperphosphorylated
Vascular Dementia
Multifocal infarction and injury that can be due to HTN, atherosclerosis or vasculitis that decreases blood flow to brain