Alzheimer's Flashcards
How is dementia classified?
major neurocognitive disorder (major NCD), based on DSM 5
What percentage of dementia diagnoses Alzheimer’s?
60-80%
How is one diagnosed with dementia?
Decline in memory and learning and at least one other cognitive domain:
complex attention, executive function, language, motor, social cognition. Must have no evidence of mixed etiology (side effects from a drug), or other medical problems, decline must interfere with daily life
How are you diagnosed with MILD NCD?
modest decline in cognitive performance in one or more of the categories, but not a sever enough decline to affect everyday life
Early symptoms of AD
difficulties w/ name recall and event recall
later symptoms of major NCD
1) confusion, impaired judgment
2) disorientation
3) general behavior changes
4) difficulty swallowing and speaking
brain abnormalities found
1) plaques- beta fragments that become sticky and clump
2) tangles- strands of tau that accumulate in neurons and kills neuron
Death expectancy once diagnosed
live an average of 8 years after diagnosis
What is Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)?
occurs in very early stages of AD, display of more memory problems than the “typical” for that age group: occasional short term memory failure, some decline in word finding, impaired reasoning skills, daily activity not significantly impacted
What makes up the diencephalon?
thalamus and hypothalamus
what makes up the brainstem?
midbrain, pons (rounded), medulla (leads to spinal cord)
gyrus
a ridge of the cortex
suclus
depression in the surface of the cortex
what are the 5 lobes?
frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal, limbic (know location)
4 sulci?
central, lateral, parietooccipital, cingulate (know location)
What are the areas of the cerebral cortex and what are their functions/location?
primary motor cortex- pre central gyrus
premotor cortex- anterior to primary motor, movement planning, sensory guidance of movement
supplementary motor cortex- medial surface anterior to primary motor cortex, postural stabilization, coordinates movement between body sides
what is the corticospinal tract?
descending pathway, voluntary motor control of limbs/trunk, look at slide
what are the primary sensory areas and their location?
somatosensory- postcentral gyrus in parietal lobe, receives sensory info from periphery (temp, touch, pain)
vision- banks of calcarine sulcus in occipital lobe
auditory- transverse temporal gyrus
Broca’s area
language production, inferior frontal gyrus in dominant hemisphere
wernickes area
language comprehension, posterior part of the superior temporal gyrus and inferior parietal lobule in dominant hemisphere
what is arcuate fasciculus?
connects brooks and wernickes, axons leave one area and terminates in the other area
the prefrontal cortex (PFC)
large area, works with amygdala and hypo campus, regulates emotions and executive functions, connects to sensory areas (vision, hearing and somatosensory)
what does the PFC divide into?
dorsolateral cortex- connections with vision, hearing and somatosensory, works memory, motor planning, and organization
ventrolateral cortex- interacts w/ brain regions involved in regulating emotion, impulsitvity and self-control
what are the structures of the limbic system?
1) cingulate gryus
2) pariahippocampal gyrus
3) hippocampus
4) amygdala
5) septal nuclei
where Is the hippocampus and what is the function
location- temporal lobe
function- formation of new memories, emotion, spatial orientation
location and function of amygdala
location- medical temporal lobe, anterior to hippocampus
function- processing and memory of emotional reactions, especially fear
why do we vividly remember emotional experiences?
amygdala is closely related to hippocampus which help form memories that are connected to emotion
entorhinal cortex
part of pariahippocampal gyrus (main input region), inputs directly to amygdala, filters what makes it to the hippo.
what is white matter?
myelinated axons
APP
concentrated in synapses, aids in neuron growth and development
sAPPa(alpha)
neuroprotective properties, promotes neurotic expansion, synapse production and cell adhesion
AICD
regulates cell death, maintaining cellular actin
P3
no known function but doesn’t appear toxic
what are plaques surrounded by?
microglia and astrocytes
what does tau do?
binds and stabilizes microtubules