Alzheimer's Flashcards
what are neurological degenerative disorders
- disease that progressively decline over decades
- a few are rapid (taking years)
what is Dementia
- loss of ordered neural function
- d/t several unrelated disorders
what is Alzheimers disease
progressive, irreversible dementia
Alzheimer’s disease makes up about __% of all dementia
65%
the prevalence of Alzheimers disease increases after
65 yrs
Etiology of Alzheimers
- increasing age
- 90% idiopathic (sporadic form)
- 10% genetic (familial form)
10% of Alzhimers genetic (familial form)
- if onset is at less than 65 yrs likely familial
- APP (amyeloid precursor protein) on Chr 21
- PS1 (presenilin 1) on Chr 14
- PS2 (presenilin 2) on Chr 1
- APOE on chr 19
Mnfts of alzhimers grouped into ______
progressive stages over aprox 10 years
alzihmers has ______ onset
insidious
what are the stages of progression for Alzheimers
- Mild (2-4yrs)
- Moderate
- Severe
Mild stage of Alzheimers (2-4 yrs)
- mnfts elusive for individual (others notice)
- loss of short term memory
- careless work habits
- mild personality changes
Moderate stage of Alzheimers (2-10 yrs)
- also known as confusional stage
- previous mnfts continue and worsen
- decline in cogntion
- confusion
- depression (neurochemical changes)
- language problems: paraphasias= using words in wrong context ex. husband instead of wife, may use repetitive speech
- neglected hygiene
- some aggression
- problems with ADLS
Severe stage of Alzheimers (2 yrs)
- severe mental impairment
- inability to respond to environment
- minimal to voluntary movement
- no self-care
- rigid, flexor, posturing
Diagnosing Alzheimers
(by exclusion)
- no definitive test
- clinical presentation
- exclude dementia from other causes (ex. toxicity & stroke)
- labs (extensive) -essentially excluding other causes of dementia
- EEG (electroensiophgram - essentially like an XRAY of brain), CT (sectional images of brain), MRI
Treatment of Alzhemiers
- no cure
- slow down progression & treat symptoms
- behavioral & environmental manipulations
Drugs to treat Alzheimers
- glutumate receptor blocker
- ACH-esterase inhibitors
- depression ex. effexor
- low dose anti-psychotics ex. risperidone
Glutamate recpetor blocker drug to treat alzheimers
AD may cause excessive accumulation of glutamate casing neurotoxicity. glutamate receptor blocker, decreases glutamate
- the dosage determines the amount of blockage
ex. mementine
ACH-esterase inhibitors drug to treat alzheimers
inhibits the enzyme that breaks down acetlycholine, retaining acetlycholine
ex. aricept
what is glutamate
stimulatory neurotransmitter, if to much in body becomes toxic (causes neurotoxicity)
