cognition disorders Flashcards
disruption or impairment in higher-level brain functions
cognitive disorders
What are the categories of cognitive disorders?
delirium, dementia, amnesic disorders
Syndrome involving disturbance of consciousness with change in cognition
Etiology: usually from identifiable physiologic, metabolic, cerebral disturbance, disease, drug intoxication or withdrawal (see Box 24.1)
delirium
develops over a short period, sometimes a matter of hours, and fluctuates, or changes, throughout the course of the day.
delirium
What are some symptoms of delirium?
difficulty processing information, disorientation, impaired judgment, poor intellectual capacity, suspicious, frightened, inappropriate behavior, hyperactive with agitation & restlessness, hypoactive with apathy & restlessness, motor agitation
What are some causes of delirium?
high fever, head trauma, brain tumor, drug intoxication or withdrawal, metabolic disorders, inflammatory disorders of the CNS
What are some risk factors delirium?
age, severity of illness, terminal illness, and dementia
What labs and diagnostics are done delirium?
White Blood cell count to rule out infection.
Complete blood count with differential to check for anemia
Urine to assess for diabetes(ketoacidosis), infection, substances (benzodiazepines, alcohol…)
Electrolytes: abnormal can cause alterations in mental status
Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) and (RPR) for syphilis
Vitamin B12 can indicate malnutrition or dementia
What psychopharmacology treatment for delirium?
haldol
More commonly affects older adults
Gradual and progressive, irreversible decline in memory, other mental functions; affects individual’s daily life
dementia
What are the cognitive deficits with dementia?
- aphasia
- apraxia
- agnosia
- executive function disturbance
deterioration of language function (i.e. Difficulty with verbal expression.)
aphasia
impairment to execute motor functions despite intact motor abilities ( i.e. Unable to transfer to sitting position.)
apraxia
inability to recognize or name objects despite intact sensory abilities (Unable to identify a ball.)
agnosia
inability to think abstractly, to plan to initiate, to sequence and stop complex behavior ( Unable to solve a math problem.)
Executive Function Disturbance-
mild stage of dementia consists of?
Forgetfulness ( i.e difficulty finding words, frequently loses objects)
moderate stage of dementia consists of?
confusion & Progressive Memory Loss ( i.e. Inability to perform tasks, still recognize familiar people)
severe stage of dementia consist of?
personality & Emotional Changes (i.e. delusional, wander at night, forget names)
what are the types of dementia?
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Vascular dementia
- Pick’s disease
- Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Huntington’s disease
abrupt onset level off) lesions on cerebral cortex and sub corticoid structures
Vascular dementia
degenerative brain disease affects frontal and temporal lobe death with 2 years
Pick’s disease
tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia and postural instability
Parkinson’s disease
inherited dominant gene (contortions, twisting turning and tongue movements)
Huntington’s disease
medical management for Alzheimer’s disease?
Drug therapy; folic acid supplements; antidepressants; tranquilizers
Medications for degenerative dementias: Cholinesterase inhibitors (see Table 24.2): (Aricept, Exelon, Reminyl, Razadyne, Nivalin, Namenda)
