Aging & dementia Flashcards
Aging depends on the interaction of which 3 variables
Time, genetic background, stochastic encounters with diverse events (e.g., HTN, stress, oxidation, trauma)
Correlates of successful aging
Educ achievement, early educ experiences, physical health status, exercise, perception of health & control, emotional state/life satisfaction
Brain changes associated with aging
Loss of synapses, neurons, neurochemical input, neuronal networks
In aging, atrophy due to neuronal loss (or cell shrinkage) is most/least pronounced in
Most - hippocampus & anterior dorsal frontal lobe
Least - occipital lobes
In aging, progressive decline in CBG is greatest/least in which brain areas?
Greatest - prefrontal & inferior temporal cortex
Least - occipital areas
Memory changes associated with normal aging
Reduction in amount of info that can be processesd at once
Decline affects recent > immediate or remote
Less efficient encoding due to reduced use of learning strategies, more difficulty retrieving info that has been encoded
Language changes associated with normal aging
Strengths: linguistic knowledge, lexical knowledge, expressive vs. receptive
Weaknesses: naming, precision of verbal description, drawing abstract inferences, drawing unstated principles from facts
Visuospatial changes associated with normal aging
Small changes in simple perception, slowed visual processing
Complex visual tasks produce large age effects (visual closure, integration, construction)
Executive functioning changes associated with normal aging
Decline in cognitive flexibility, application of abstract concepts
6 factors that should be taken into account when examining the geriatric population (Potter & Attix)
VIsion, hearing, motor fx, fatigue, literacy, rapport & motivation
DSM-IV definition of dementia
Deficit in memory AND 1+ of apraxia, agnosia, aphasia, exec fx
Decline from previous level of functioning
Interference w/ work, school, ADLs, or other social activities
Not delirium
Probable AD (NINCDS-ADRDA criteria)
Dementia established by clinical exam & cognitive tests
Deficits in 2+ areas of cognition
Progressive worsening of memory & other cog fx
No disturbance of consciousness
Onset between ages 40-90
Absence of systemic disorders/other disease that could account for symptoms
Pathological progression of Alzheimer’s
1) Medial temporal lobes
2) Basal temporal cortex extending over lateral posterior temporal cortex, parieto-occipital cortex, posterior cingulate gyrus
3) Frontal lobes
Anatomical changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease
Cerebral atrophy
Neuronal loss
Amyloid plaques
Neurofibrillary tangles
Where is cerebral atrophy most prominent in Alzheimer’s disease?
Parietal, inferior temporal, limbic cortex
Widespread cause of atrophy appears to be loss of dendritic arborization
Neuronal loss in Alzheimer’s disease is most prominent in
Nucleus basalis, septal nuclei, nucleus of the diagnoal band where cholinergic projections arise
Lesser extent in locus ceruleus (NE) & raphe nuclei (serotonin)
Amyloid plaques
Insoluble protein core containing beta-amyloid and ApoE surrounded by abnormal axons & dendrites called dystrophic neuritis
Neurofibrillary tangles
Intracellular accumulations of tau proteins
Cognitive decline accounts for only ____% of functional decline in Alzheimer’s disease
40
Declines in advanced IADLs predict
Frequency of hospital contact, nursing home placement, mortality
Basic ADLs rely on
Procedural memory skills & basic motor programming
Instrumental ADLs require
Controlled processing & executive function
What age group are at the highest risk of driving accidents?
Over 85
Performance in what cognitive domains is highly correlated with driving status & performance?
Visual search, selective attention, visuospatial perception & construction, exec fx
Alzheimer’s patients have an increase of _____x the normal concentration of aluminum in their brains
10-30x
Baseline tests that predict later cognitive decline in AD
Verbal tests of naming, verbal memory, fluency, abstraction
Baseline tests that predict later functional decline in AD
Nonverbal measures of visuospatial functioning & visual memory
What are some conditions or comorbidities that should be considered when making a diagnosis of AD?
Thyroid, B12 or folate levels, CVD, stroke & other neuron conditions; kidney, liver, endocrine fx
Diagnostic criteria for probable vascular dementia (NINDS-AIREN)
Evidence of dementia
Evidence of cerebrovascular disease
Relationship b/t dementia & CVD
Other features that support include gait disturbance, falls, incontinence, pseudobulbar palsy, mood changes
Neary et al. diagnostic criteria for frontotemporal dementia
Insidious onset & gradual progression, early decline in social interpersonal fx, early impairment in regulating personal conduct, early emotional blunting, early loss of insight
What are some features that support a diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia?
Behavioral disorder, speech/language disorder, physical signs, diagnostic procedures