DEMENTIA Flashcards
1
Q
signs and symptoms of dementia
A
- loss of cognitive ability
- changes not associated with normal ageing
- generally associated with progressive neurodegeneration
- finding it hard to follow conversations
- repeating yourself
2
Q
stages of dementia - mild
A
- increasingly noticeable memory loss, cognitive impairment
- has ability to cover this up
- may be normal ageing in older people
3
Q
stages of dementia - moderate
A
- memory lapses and confusion becomes more obvious
- personality and mental ability changes, some physical problems may develop
- repeated reminders for everyday functions - eat. toilet etc.
4
Q
stages of dementia - severe
A
- memory and personality deteriorate further
- impaired ability to communicate
- become dependent on others
5
Q
multiple causes of dementia
A
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- dementia with Lewy bodies
- vascular dementia
- frontotemporal dementia (FTD)
- mixed dementia
6
Q
diagnosing tests for dementia
A
- mini-mental state examination (MMSE)
- memory impairment screen (MIS)
- eight-item informant interview to differentiate ageing and dementia (AD8)
7
Q
Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis
A
- progressive decline in cognitive ability
- regular visits to GP and memory clinics
- no definitive diagnostic test
- postmortem associated with plaques (amyloid) and neurofibrillary tangles (Tau)
8
Q
vascular dementia diagnosis
A
- CT or MRI scans
- reduced blood flow to brain
- able to rule out other conditions that may have similar symptoms
9
Q
dementia with Lewy bodies diagnosis
A
- SPECT scan - more sensitive than CT and MRI
- neuronal deposits of a-synuclein
- CT or MRI scans to rule out other conditions that may have similar symptoms
10
Q
frontotemporal dementia (FTD) diagnosis
A
- usually affects people 45-64 years old
- CT or MRI scans to identify damage to frontal and temporal lobes
- tauopathy
11
Q
plaques around neurons are…
A
extracellular
(amyloid beta protein)
12
Q
tangles within neurons are…
A
intracellular
(Tau protein)
13
Q
suggested roles of amyloid
A
- angiogenesis (vascular plug)
- antimicrobial peptide
- tumour suppression
- LTP (learning and memory)
- regulates hyperexcitability
- neurogenesis/survival
14
Q
suggested roles of Tau
A
- iron homeostasis
- promotes myelination
- permits hyperexcitability
- motor control
- sleep-wake cycle
- neurogenesis/synaptogenesis
- axon transport
- insulin signalling
- transcription/protects DNA
15
Q
what goes wrong
A
APP cleaved B secretase followed by Y secretase = AB = toxicity
incorrect cleavage of amyloid precursor protein (APP) by secretases
