Alzheimer's Disease - Still Alice Flashcards
Dementia
- gradual worsening loss of memory
- loss of cognitive functioning
- loss of neurons in the brain
- irreversible
Delirium
- confused state that develops over a short period of time
- often associated with agitation and hyperactivity
- can be fixed
Cognitive Processes
- perception and attention
- memory
- reasoning and decision making
Neurologists
Physicians who deal with disease of the brain and nervous system
Neuropsychologists
Assess for cognitive impairments
The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test
Measures set shifting, the ability to display flexibility in thinking as the goal of the task changes
Cognitive Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease
- forgetfulness increases gradually
- difficulty remembering names and familiar objects
- changes in emotional responsiveness and personality
- while early signs are vague, in the late stage intellectual and motor functions may disappear completely
Early Onset Alzheimers
- age is the biggest factor - under age 65
- lighter symptoms at first
- shows more dysfunction on executive function domains, written language, visuospatial activities, and motor skills
Aphasia
Loss of ability in language, the ability to speak and understand others
Apraxia
Difficulty performing purposeful movements in response to verbal commands
Retrograde Amnesia
Inability to retrieve memories from the past
Anterograde Amnesia
Inability to learn or remember new information
Agnosia
Perception without meaning, not recognizing what they are seeing
Perceptual Deficits
- deficits in how information is interpreted
- how memory is stored and recalled
- how information is used
Issues with Judgement and Social Behavior of Alzheimers
- disruption of short term memory, perceptual skills, and higher level cognitive abilities disrupts judgement
- impulsive and careless behaviors
- activities such as shopping, driving, and using tools can create serious problems
Neuropsychological Assessment of Alzheimers
- administration of psychological tests to indicate whether a person has a brain disorder
- designed to measure sensorimotor, perceptual, and speech functions
- some tasks require the person to copy single objects or drawings
Issue of Depression in Dementia Patients
- sometimes dementia is caused by depression
- depression - complain of memory loss, dementia - hides memory loss
- depression - worse memory loss in the morning, dementia - worse at night
- depression - aware of and exaggerates symptoms, dementia - unaware of or minimizes the disability
Motor Issues in Dementia
- may cause agitation
- pacing restlessly
- wandering away from familiar places
- may have trouble controlling muscles
Neurofibrillary Tangles
- insoluble twisted fibers
- protein build up of tau
- exists with amyloid plaques
Amyloid Plaques
Aggregates of misfolded protein that forms in the spaces between nerve cells
Genes Related to Alzheimer’s Disease
the presenilin gene causes early onset alzheimer’s
Neurotransmitters and Brain Regions Affected by Alzheimers
- deficits of Acetylcholine (Ach) in the temporal lobe
- early onset tends to preserve the hippocampus
- early onset causes a greater density of senile plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and greater neuronal loss
Acetylcholine (Ach)
Neurotransmitter involved in memory
• levels reduced in patients with Alzheimer’s disease
Donepezil (Aricept)
• Inhibits the breakdown of acetylcholine esterase which breaks down Ach
