43. Dementia

Question 1

name 5 of the most common types of dementia

Answer 1

1. Alzheimer’s
2. Vascular dementia
3. Dementia with Lewy Bodies
4. Parkinson’s Dementia
5. Frontotemporal Dementia

Question 2

what are the typical cognitive impairments that occur in dementia?

Answer 2

• Amnesia: memory impairment (primarily recent memory)
• Ahasia (language disturbance)
• Apraxia (inability to carry out motor activites despite intact motor function
• Agnosia (failure to recognize objects/people/places despite intact sensory function
• Executive dysfunction

Question 3

what is the result of the cognitive impairments that occur in dementia?

Answer 3

SIGNIFICANT impairment in social or occupational functioning

SIGNIFICANT decline from prior level of functioning

Question 4

what are the functional impairments that occur in dementia?

Answer 4

inability to perform activities of daily living
behavioral disturbances (depression, agitation, paranoia, hallucinations, sleep problems, anxiety, restlessness, irritability, disinhibition)

Question 5

what are the most impt pathological features of Alz?

Answer 5

Amyloid plaques (beta-amyloid proteins)
neurofibrillary tangles (Tau proteins)

Question 6

what are amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles associated with?

Answer 6

cell death, brain atrophy

Question 7

what are the most impt risk factors for Alz?

Answer 7

AGE

genetics (specifically having APOE4)

Question 8

what is the difference between delirium and dementia?

Answer 8

• Delirium = rapid onset, fluctuation over day, significant problems with attention.
• Dementia: attention is pretty good until very late stages of disease. Chronic condition, will not reverse.

Question 9

what is the single most common cause of dementia?

Answer 9

Alz

Question 10

name 4 drugs used to treat Alz?

Answer 10

-Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors:
donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine
-NMDA antagonist:
memantine