Acute Confusional States

Question 1

Delirium Causes

Answer 1

• Drugs
• Endocrine disorders: HYPOthyroidism
• Metabolic disorders:
  
  • Addison’s: lack of cortisol
  • Cushing: excessive cortisol
• Emotional disorders
• Nutritional deficiencies: of B12 and B6
• Tumors & Toxins
• Injuries: traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Alcohol abuse

Question 2

Alzheimer’s Disease (Causes/Pathophysiology + Results in…)

Answer 2

• Amyloid Plaques: accumulation of amyloid beta peptides (Aβ) in brain ⇒ neurotoxicity and synaptic function impairment
• Neurofibrillary Tangles: tau tangles disrupts transport system within neurons ⇒ disrupts movement of essential nutrients and cellular components ⇒ neuronal degeneration
• Cholinergic Insufficiency: deficiency of ACh important for memory and learning due to loss of cholinergic neurons in brain’s basal forebrain
• Autophagy Dysfunction: have ineffective clearance of damaged or dysfunctional components ⇒ toxicity, inflammation, neuronal death ⇒ neurodegeneration
• Mitochondrial Dysfunction: reduced ATP and ↑ oxidative stress/reactive oxygen species (ROS) ⇒ neuronal damage & apoptosis
• Neuro-Inflammation: brain’s immune cells of microglia triggered by amyloid plaques and tau tangles ⇒ proinflammatory cytokines and ROS ⇒ neurodegenerative process & disease progression acceleration
• Results in: frontal lobe impairment that’s responsible for personality + who person is