Chapter 8_Neurocognitive Disorders (NCDs) Flashcards
What are the six cognitive domains that can be affected by NCDs?
learning and memory, language, complex attention, perceptual motor skills, social interaction, and executive function
What is another way to think of delirium?
Acute brain failure. It is a medical emergency associated with high mortality; it often goes unrecognized
aka toxic/metabolic encephalopathy, acute organic brain syndrome, acute confusional state, acute toxic psychosis, ICU psychosis
Risk factors for delirium
- advanced age
- polypharmacy (including psychotropic meds like benzos and anticholinergics)
- limited mobility
- history of previous delirium
- male gender
- severe or terminal illness
- alcohol use
- malnutrition
- pain
- preexisting cognitive impairment/depression
- multiple medical comorbidities
What are the 5 categories of delirium?
- substance intoxication delirium
- substance withdrawal delirium
- medication-induced delirium
- delirium due to another medical condition
- delirium due to multiple etiologies
delirium+hemiparesis or other focal neuro signs
dx and test?
CVA or mass lesion
head ct/brain MRI
delirium +elevated bp+papilledema
dx and test?
hypertensive papilledema
head ct/brain MRI
delirium + dilated pupils + tachycardia
substance intoxication
UDS
delirium+fever+nuchal rigidity+photophobia
meningitis
LP
delirium+tchycardia+tremor+thyromegaly
thyrotoxicosis
Free TSH, T3, T4
How does delirium present?
- deficits in attention and awareness
- cognitive deficits develop acutely over hours to days
- symptoms fluctuate throughout course of the day (usually worse at night)
- deficits in recent memory/language abnormalities/perceptual disturbances (usually visual)
- differing degrees of psychomotor activity
Three types of delirium based on psychomotor activity?
- mixed type (most common): activity remains stable at baseline or fluctuates rapidly between hyper and hypo
- hyopactive (most likely to go undetected): decreased activity; lethargy/drowsiness
- hyperactive: agitation, mood lability, uncooperativeness; often seen in drug withdrawal or toxicity
How does delirium show up on EEG?
generally manifests are diffuse background slowing on EEG
exception: DELIRIUM TREMENS; FAST ACTIVITY on EEG
What are some useful labs for evaluating a patient with delirium?
fingerstick blood glucose, pulse ox, ABG, ECG, UDS, blood alcohol level, therapeutic drug levels, hepatic panel, thyroid hormone level, chest xray, head CT/MRI, EEG, LP
Treatment for delirium
TREAT UNDERLYING CAUSE
can give haloperidol for agitation
When to use benzos to treat delirium?
ONLY FOR ALCOHOL OR BENZO WITHDRAWAL!
do not use for anything else because they can worsen delirium via disinhibition or oversedation
Difference between mild and major NCDs
Patients with major NCDs require assistance with IADLS, while patients with minor NCDs do not
Cognitive impairment with stepwise increase in severity + focal neurologoical signs
vascular dx
head ct/brain MRI
cognitive impairment + cogwhell rigidity + resting tremor
Lewy body disease/Parkinsons
clinical dx
cognitive impairment + gait apraxia + urinary incontinence + dilated cerebral ventricles
Normal pressure hydrocephalus
Head CT + brain MRI
cognitive impairment + fatigue + cold intolerance + coarse hair + constipation
hypothyroidism
TSH, free T4
Cognitive impairment + paresthesias + diminished position and vibration sensation + megaloblasts on CBC
Vitamin B12 deficiency
Serum B12
Cognitive impairment + tremor + Kayser-Fleischer rings + abnormal LFTs
Wilson’s dx
cerumoplasmin
Cognitive impairment + diminished position and vibration sensation + Argyll Robertson Pupils (accomodation response present, but no light)
Neurosyphillis
CSF FTA-ABS and VDRL
A good quick screening test useful for delirium?
Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE)
What are the components of MMSE?
Orientation, registration (naming objects), attention (DLROW), recall (3 objects within 5 minutes), language (repetition, comprehension, writing)