chapter 17 Cognitive Disorders Flashcards
Agnosia
loss of sensory ability to recognize objects.
the person may lose the ability to recognize familiar sounds( auditory agnosia), such as the ring of the telephone, a car horn, or the door bell.
Loss of this ability extends to the inability to recognize familiar objects(visual or tactile agnosia) such as a glass, magaine, pencil or tootbrush.
Eventually people are unable to recognize loved ones or even parts of their own bodies
agraphia
inability to read or write
aphasia
loss of language ability
it progresses with AD
initially the person has difficulty finding the correct word, then is reduced to a few words, and finally is reduced to babbling or mutism
apraxia
loss of purposeful movement in the absence of motor or sensory impairment
the person is unable to perform once-familar and purposeful tasks
in apraxia of gait, the person loses the ability to walk
in apraxia of dressing, the person is unable to put clothes on properly (may put arms in trousers or put a jacket on upside down)
confabulation
it is the creation of stories or answers in place of actual memories to maintain self-esteem.
confabulation is not the same as lying. WHen people are lying they are aware of making up an answer; confabulation is an unconscious attempt to maintain self-esteem
delirium
it is characterized by a disturbance of consciousness and a change in cognition that develop over a short period of time
it is always secondary to another physiological condition and is a transient disorder. The major causes are nervous system disease, systemic disease such as cardiac failure, and either intoxication or withdrawal from a chemical substance
dementia
it is defined as progressive deterioration of cognitive functioning and global impairment of intellect with no change in consciousness.
it is manifested as difficulty with memory, thinking and comprehension
it interferes with daily living
hypermetamorphosis
manifested by touching of everything in sight
hyperorality
the need to taste, chew and put everything in one’s mouth
hypervigilance
patients are extraordinarily alert, and their eyes constantly scan the room; they may have difficulty falling asleep or may be actively disoriented and agitated throughout the night
perseveration
the involuntary repetition of the same phrases or behaviors
primary dementia
it is irreversible, progressive, and not secondary to any other disease.
Alzheimer’s and vascular dementias are primary
secondary dementia
it occurs as a result of some other pathological process (metabolic, nutritional, or neurological)
Examples: AIDS-related dementia, Korsakoff’s syndrome caused by thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency
