Delirium, Dementia, Depression

Question 1

What is depression?

Answer 1

o Described as the presence of a cluster of depressive symptoms that last for at least two weeks for most of the day and most of the time. With a high intensity compared to normal. Biologically based illness which affects a person’s thoughts, feelings, behaviour, and even their psychical health

Question 2

Depression onset and course

Answer 2

o Unexplainable changes in mood which lasts for at least two weeks, can be reversed with treatment, and usually worse in the morning

Question 3

Depression thinking

Answer 3

reduced memory, concentration, and thinking, with low self-esteem. The person might have delusions of poverty, feeling guilt, and complain of somatic symptoms

Question 4

Depression Mood

Answer 4

depressed mood with decreased interest or in experiences of pleasure, changes in appetite and possibly suicidal ideation of feelings of hopelessness

Question 5

depression psychomotor activities

Answer 5

Hypoactive (agitation) and hypoactive (withdrawn, decreased motivation and interest)

Question 6

What is dementia?

Answer 6

Gradual and progressive decline in mental processing ability/cerebral dysfunction. It affects short term memory language, judgement, reasoning, and abstract thinking, and eventually long term memory and familiar tasks

Question 7

onset and course of dementia

Answer 7

It occurs gradually over months to years, and it is irreversible. Slow and chronic

Question 8

Dementia thinking

Answer 8

cognitive decline with memory problems additionally with either apraxia, agnosia, and/or executive functioning. Other possible symptoms are paranoia, delusions of theft, and some dementias have hallucinations

Question 9

Dementia mood

Answer 9

depression is common in the early stages, apathy, sleep can be disturbed with a set pattern of disturbance, apathy occurs

Question 10

Dementia psychomotor activities

Answer 10

wandering with exit seeking, agitation, the person can be withdrawn linked with existing depression

Question 11

What is delirium?

Answer 11

o A potentially reversable condition of cognitive impairment that often has a physiological cause. A medical emergency.
o The characteristics are: acute and fluctuating onset of confusion, disturbances in attention, disorganised thinking, and/or decline in consciousness
o Can coexist with dementia. Older people with dementia are at a higher risk of developing delirium

Question 12

Delirium onset and course

Answer 12

o Occurs suddenly and lasts hours to days, but can be reversed if cause is found
o Fluctuates over a 24 period

Question 13

Delirium thinking

Answer 13

fluctuations in alertness, cognition, perceptions, and thinking occur. May have misperceptions and delusions

Question 14

Delirium mood

Answer 14

fluctuations in emotions such as outbursts, crying, anger, etc. Sleep can be disturbed, not set pattern

Question 15

Delirium psychomotor activities

Answer 15

mix of hypo (unarousable, sleepy) and hyper (restlessness, hallucinations, agitation) activities