Aging, Dementia and Alzheimer's Flashcards
T or F: Overall brain weight decreases with age
True!
What are senile plaques
Extracellular deposits of amyloid in gray matter of the brain
Where do you find senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles most frequently?
In the cortex and the hippocampus
What are neurofibrillay tangles?
- pathological accumulation of helical filaments, found in higher concentration in older adults and alzheimer’s disease and dementia
What natural changes occur in the vestibular system over time
- they dec. in #
- myelinated fiber loss occurs
What natural changes occur in the somatosensory system over time
- dec. number of (un)myelinated nn fibers w/age
- less blood supply to the nerves
- dec # sensory receptors
What natural changes occur in the motor system over time
- loss of alpha motor neurons
- dec. space b/t nodes of Ranvier leading to dec. NCV
What natural changes occur in the nervous system over time
- dec. synthesis of NT
- Reduction of serotonin (red. mem, sleep patterns affected, thermoregulation is an issue)
What is an age-related cognitive issue (Not dementia)
Benign Senescent Forgetfulness:
- a mild decline in STM that does not progress to other mental impairments
Define Dementia
A dec. in intellectual function SEVERE enough to interfere w/a person’s relationships and ability to carry out daily activities
What s/s are involved in dementia
- Cognitive Impair + >= abstract thinking judgement problem solving dec. f of comm personality
List the types of dementia
- Alzheimer’s
- Vascular Dementia
- Dementia w/Lewy bodies (DLB)
What is the most common form of dementia?
Alzheimer’s dementia 50-70% of cases
What is vascular dementia?
An insidious, subtly-progressive worsening of memory and cognition due to chronic, reduced blood flow in the brain as a result of vascular changes
What is Dementia w/Lewy Bodies (DLB)
- third most common cause
- DLB and PD may be linked due to rln of motor disorders and lewy bodies/STM
What are some of the causes of irreversible dementia?
- Alzheimers
- Vascular
- DLB
- PD
- HD
- HIV
What are some of the reversible conditions that can cause dementia-like symptoms?
- Depression
- Medication side effects
- Drug interactions
- Hypothyroidism
- Chronic alcoholism
- Vitamin B12 deficiency
- Benign brain tumor
- Brain infection
Define Alzheimer’s Disease
Most common form of dementia among older adults that involves parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language and can seriously affect a person’s ability to carry out daily activities
What is the 7th leading cause of death in the US
Alzheimer’s Disease
What is the AD Histology
Beta-amyloid plaques are formed
Neurofibrillay tangles
What are beta - amyloid plaques composed of
Abnormal clusters of amyloid precursor proteins (APP)
What are neurofibrillary tangles composed of?
Strands of tau protein inside dead and dying nerve cells
- most common in the temporal lobe structures, such as the hippocampus and amygdala
What occurs w/early AD
- slight changes in thinking and planning, learning and memory
What occurs w/mild to moderate AD
- memory or thinking problems that interfere w/work
- confused
- difficulty handling money, expressing themselves, and organizing their thoughts
- Changes in personality and behaviour and have trouble recognizing friends and family members
- Speaking and comprehension
- Sensory integration
- Visual-spatial
What occurs w/severe AD
- individuals lose their ability to communicate, to recognize self, family and loved ones, and to care for themselves
What are some tests for AD?
- MMSE
- Clock drawing
What is the intervention for AD?
- Anti-cholinesterase for mem
- Antioxidants, vitamin E for free radical
- NSAIDs
- hormone replacement
