Aspects of older peoples' mental health

Question 1

General signs and symptoms of dementia

Answer 1

appreciable disturbance in higher cortical functions:
- memory
- orientation
- calculation
- thinking
- language
- reasoning
- judgement
- learning
- comprehension

onset often gradual
course is chronic, progressive and irreversible
consciousness not clouded

Question 2

MA6 mnemonic for dementia

Answer 2

Memory impairment and one of the following:

Apraxia
Aphasia
Agnosia
Abstraction and other executive functioning

Plus:
Absence of clouding of consciousness
Ability to function is impaired

Question 3

Dementia classifications

Answer 3

Alzheimer’s
Vascular
Lewy body
Dementia in other diseases (frontotemporal, hydrocephalus, traumatic brain injury, Korsakoff’s, Parkinson’s, Huntinton’s)

Question 4

Define mild cognitive impairment

Answer 4

objective cognitive impairment but without significant impact
borderline score on cognitive testing

Question 5

What is pseudodementia?

Answer 5

depression with reversible cognitive impairment

Question 6

What cognition assessment tools are there?

Answer 6

Addenbrooke’s cognitive examination
Montreal cognitive assessment
MMSE

Question 7

What anti-depressants should be avoided in older patients?

Answer 7

fluoxetine
paroxetine

Question 8

What antipsychotics can be used in older patients?

Answer 8

quetiapine
aripiprazole
risperidone

Question 9

What anti-depressants can be used in older people?

Answer 9

SSRIs
mirtazapine
venlafaxine
vortioxetine
trazodone
duloxetine