Cognitive Impairment Flashcards
What is dementia?
A chronic condition of impaired cognition caused by brain disease or injury, marked by personality changes, memory deficits, and impaired reasoning.
List some conditions that can cause dementia.
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Vascular dementia
- Frontal-temporal dementia
- Lewy body disease
What are clinical manifestations of dementia?
- Forgetfulness
- Impaired social skills
- Impaired decision-making
- Impaired thinking abilities
Is dementia reversible?
No, dementia is gradual, progressive, and irreversible.
What is delirium?
An acute state of cognitive impairment that typically occurs suddenly due to a physiological cause.
What are some causes of delirium?
- Infection
- Hypoxia
- Electrolyte imbalances
- Drug effects
- Acute brain injury
What are common symptoms of delirium?
- Changes in alertness
- Confusion
- Disorganized thinking
- Emotional changes
- Hallucinations and delusions
- Memory problems
- Trouble concentrating
How does the onset of delirium differ from dementia?
Delirium has a sudden onset over hours and days, whereas dementia has a vague, insidious onset.
What is depression?
A brain disorder with various causes, including genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors.
List some symptoms of depression.
- Feeling sad or empty
- Loss of interest in activities
- Changes in appetite
- Sleep disturbances
- Feelings of hopelessness
- Physical aches and pains
- Thoughts of death or suicide
True or False: Depression is treatable.
True
What is the most common cause of dementia?
Alzheimer’s disease.
What percentage of people aged 85 or older have Alzheimer’s disease?
33.4%
What are the stages of Alzheimer’s disease?
- Mild Alzheimer’s (early stage)
- Moderate Alzheimer’s (middle stage)
- Severe Alzheimer’s (late stage)
What characterizes mild Alzheimer’s (early stage)?
- Memory lapses
- Difficulty concentrating
- Still able to perform ADLs
- Short-term memory loss noticeable to close relations
What are the clinical findings in moderate Alzheimer’s (middle stage)?
- Forgetting events of one’s own history
- Difficulty with planning and organizing
- Changes in sleep patterns
- Can wander and get lost
What are the manifestations of severe Alzheimer’s (late stage)?
- Losing ability to converse
- Assistance required for ADLs
- Incontinence
- Difficulty with physical abilities
Fill in the blank: Changes in the brain in Alzheimer’s disease may begin a decade or more before _______ appear.
[memory and cognitive problems]
What is the role of nurses in managing dementia and delirium?
Nurses must closely monitor cognitive function and report changes in mental status.
What are some nursing management strategies for Alzheimer’s disease?
- Supporting cognitive function
- Promoting physical safety
- Reducing anxiety and agitation
- Improving communication
- Providing for socialization needs
