Dementia Flashcards
What are the Types of Dementia and their respective prevalences?
Alzheimers disease 60-70%
Vascular dementia(s) 18-32%
Frontotemporal dementia 10-20%
Lewys Body dementia 5%
What are the types of vascular dementia?
Multi-infarct dementia
Subcortical vascular dementia
Which symptoms are required for diagnosis of dementia?
Reduced cognitive functioning in at least two domains:
Social cognition
Attention
Memory
Psychomotor speed
Language
Executive functioning
Social judgment
Visuospatial functioning
ICD-11
How long does the impairment in ADL have to be to qualify for dementia?
6 months
What does ADL stand for?
Activities of Daily Living
How are learning and IQ related in the context of dementia?
IQ is affected much later than learning in the development of dementia.
Because learning and IQ are related, can a high IQ but low learning be an early sign of dementia.
Which tests are used for screening dementia?
MMSE (Mini Mental State Examination)
ACE (Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination)
VFT (Verbal Fluency Test)
What does the MMSE test for?
it is 30 items, that test for:
- cognition
- orientation in space-time
- memory
- attention
- following instructions
What is the scoring of the MMSE?
mild: 20-26 points
moderate: 10-19 points
serious: <10 points
Functioning+Points of MMSE scoring: Mild
20-26 Points
Person can live at home, with some help.
Driving should be evaluated
Functioning+Points of MMSE scoring: Moderate
10-19 Points
Person needs help for living at home
Misunderstandings can happen pga communication/reasoning problems
3A: Aphasia, Agnosia, Apraxia
Functioning+Points of MMSE scoring: Serious
<10 Points
Person needs help 24/7
Decision making, conversation strongly impaired
Cognitive issues lead to agresive behaviour, unrest, anxiousness, screaming,…
Many issues cannot be communicated anymore (bedsores, infections,…)
Very late: Motor issues
On which dimensions does the ACE test for?
Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination test for:
Attention
Memory (episodic, semantic, learning, free/cued recall)
Wordflow
Language
Visual Spacial Orientation (Clock/3D Cube)
For which types of dementia does the VFT test for?
Frontotemporal dementia:
- Semantic Issues -
Alzheimers disease:
- Phonemic Issues -
Some reasearch says that it is not enough to disdinguish between them
How does the VFT work?
The person has 60 seconds for naming items according to a rule.
Right, wrong, repeating words, subcategories and closeness of words are evaluated.
Less than 14/17 items is a problem
In context of the VFT what are indicators for which dementias?
Problems with phonemic similar words -> Frontotemporal dementia
Problems with semantic similar words -> Alzheimers disease
But research shows, that this is not super reliable
How can dementia be postponed?
Using cognitive activities
How can ADL of Dementia be improved?
Clear structure of the day
Precise and clear communication
Error-Free-Learning (learning from errors cannot happen, because they are not recognized)
Habitualization+Priming
Stabilizing circadian rhythm
Which other issues can increase dementia symptoms?
Urinary infection
Dehydration
Metabolism issues
vitamin deficiencies
What are medicines used for treating dementia?
Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (ACE-H)
Which medication should be avoided with dementia?
Antidepressiva+Antispychotics, because they can decrease cognitive and motor functioning and increase the chance of accidents