Dementia Flashcards
what do older people value
company and relationships
time
desire to contribute to society
someone listening
what is dementia
acquired progressive loss of cognitive functions, intellectual and social abilities severe enough to interfere with daily functioning
what does dementia affect
memory
thinking
orientation
comprehension
calculation
learning capacity
language
judgement
what is dementia characterised by
amnesia
inability to concentrate
disorientation in time, place or person
intellectual impairment
what would people with dementia have problems with
day to day memory
concentrating, planning or organising
language
visuospatial skills
orientation
what else is deterioration in cognitive function accompanied by
emotional control
social behaviour
motivation
what is alzheimers
reduction size of cortex (severe in hippocampus)
what are plaques
deposits of a protein fragment called beta-amyloid that build up in spaces between nerve cells
what are tangles
twisted fibres of tau protein build up inside cells
what are the distinctive features of alzheimers
SMTL, aphasia, communication difficulties, muddled over everyday activities, mood swings, withdrawn, loss of confidence
what factors are associated with alzheimers
age
women
head injury
lifestyle - smoking, hypertension, low folate and high blood cholesterol
abnormalities on chromosome 1, 14, 21
what is vascular dementia
reduced blood flow to brain which damages and eventually kills brain cells
why would vascular dementia occur
narrowing and blockage of small blood vessels
large stroke
lots of mini strokes
high BP and diabetes
what are the distinctive features of vascular dementia
memory problem of sudden onset, visuospatial difficulties, anxiety, delusions, seizures
what is dementia with lewy bodies
deposits of an abnormal protein called lewy bodies inside brain cells
