Cognitive and sensory alterations

Question 1

Cognition
What skills make up cognition

Answer 1

Cognition is knowing influenced by awareness and judgment
Skills- language, calculation, memory, attention, reasoning, learning, problem solving, and decision-making

Question 2

Sensation

Answer 2

Sensation is a feeling, within or outside the body, of conditions resulting from stimulation of sensory receptors.

Question 3

Stimulus

Answer 3

a change in the environment sufficient to evoke a response

Question 4

Perception

Answer 4

ability to recognize and interpret stimuli

Question 5

Sensory adaptation

Answer 5

During times of alertness, some impulses are ignored by the brain because they are not assigned priority as more important than others

Question 6

Tactile receptors

Answer 6

detectable by touch, are located in the dermis and subcutaneous tissue

Question 7

Olfaction

Answer 7

is the sense of smell.

Question 8

Scents are detected by ——————, or sensory nerve endings that react to chemicals

Answer 8

Chemoreceptors

Question 9

Gustation

Answer 9

sense of taste
requires that chemoreceptors come in direct contact with the stimulus.

Question 10

Delirium

Answer 10

reversible state of acute confusion.

Question 11

Depression

Answer 11

mood disorder characterized by a sense of hopelessness and persistent unhappiness.

Depression is always treated with medication.

Question 12

Signs and symptoms of delirium

Answer 12

Fluctuating awareness
Impairment of memory and attention
Disorganized thinking, hallucinations, and Disturbances of sleep-wake cycles

Question 13

Causes of delirium

Answer 13

drug or alcohol use, the side effects of medication, infections, fluid and electrolyte imbalances, low oxygen level, and pain. Delirium may occur in patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) because of sensory overload.

Question 14

Dementia

Answer 14

permanent decline in mental function, has a subtle onset.
“Alzheimer is the most common type of dementia.”
“The condition worsens over time.”
“I should observe for wandering behavior.”
“Agitation can be worse in the evening.”

Question 15

factors may contribute to sundowning

Answer 15

• Brain changes causing a mix-up between day and night
• Exhaustion at the end of the day of both the patient and the caregiver
• Reduced ability to see due to dim lighting
• Inability to distinguish between dreams and reality

Question 16

strategies to deal with sundowning

Answer 16

• Keep the home well lit during awake hours.
• Keep on a consistent schedule.
• Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine.
• Approach the patient in a calm, reassuring manner.
• Anticipate needs (toileting, thirst, etc.).
• Reorient the patient to person, place, and time of day.

Question 17

cerebrovascular accident (CVA)

Answer 17

occurs when an area of the brain is deprived of blood flow

Question 18

FAST

Answer 18

Face drooping
Arm weakness
Speech difficulty
Time - to administer TPA.
placing a call to 9-1-1 immediately is crucial.

Question 19

receptive aphasia
Interventions

Answer 19

cannot comprehend written or spoken language.
Use simple phrases.
Speak louder than usual.
Use a picture board.
Be patient and unrushed.

Question 20

expressive aphasia
Interventions

Answer 20

patients understand language but are unable to answer questions, name common objects, or express simple ideas.
Use yes/no questions.
Use a picture board.
Be patient and unrushed.

Question 21

Damage to sensory nerve fibers in the arms and legs leads to

Answer 21

peripheral neuropathy
Patients may not be able to feel sharp objects or discern extreme hot and cold temperatures, leaving them vulnerable to injury

Question 22

———- is the complete loss of the sense of smell.

Answer 22

Anosmia
Olfactory chemoreceptors decline in number and lose their sensitivity with age, causing a decreased ability to detect odors

Question 23

Age-related hearing loss is called

Answer 23

presbycusis

Question 24

the sensation that objects are moving around the person

Answer 24

vertigo

Question 25

a ringing or other abnormal sound in the ear;

Answer 25

tinnitus

Question 26

———— causes the affected person to be able to see clearly only a short distance.

Answer 26

myopia

Question 27

——— manifesting as farsightedness, is an age-related decrease in the ability to focus on near objects.

Answer 27

presbyopia

Question 28

Clouding of the lens of the eye is called a

Answer 28

cataract

Question 29

—————- causes increased intraocular pressure, which puts pressure on the optic nerve, leading to loss of peripheral visual fields and possibly blindness

Answer 29

glaucoma

Question 30

———————- is a complication of diabetes mellitus in which the blood vessels of the retina become damaged.

Answer 30

Diabetic retinopathy

Question 31

—————- loss of vision occurs in the central visual fields. Visual acuity is diminished.

Answer 31

macular degeneration

Question 32

Sensory deprivation

Answer 32

A person who cannot see, hear, feel, or respond to the environment may feel socially isolated.

Question 33

Sensory overload

Answer 33

overabundance of stimuli—noise from machines, pressure from tubes, frequent interactions with health care personnel throughout a 24-hour day, constant lighting, and pain

Question 34

Smoking, obesity, a high-cholesterol diet, and excessive alcohol use can cause

Answer 34

Hypertension
Increase the risk of stroke

Question 35

Cocaine use can destroy

Answer 35

olfactory receptors in the nasal passages, causing a decrease in the sense of smell.

Question 36

What senses does smoking decrease?

Answer 36

decreases the senses of smell and taste.

Question 37

Frontal lobes

Answer 37

responsible for voluntary motor function, concentration, communication, decision
making, and personality.

Question 38

Parietal lobes

Answer 38

responsible for the sense of touch, pain
distinguishing the shape and texture of objects.

Question 39

Occipital lobes

Answer 39

process visual information

Question 40

Temporal lobe

Answer 40

concerned with the
senses of hearing and smell.

Question 41

If the damage is on the left side of the brain, there is loss of

Answer 41

sensation and motor function in the extremities on the right side of the body and problems
with speech occur.

Question 42

Interventions to enhance vision include the use of

Answer 42

sharply contrasting colors
warm incandescent lighting
yellow or amber lenses to decrease glare. Fluorescent lighting can contribute to indirect and direct glare.