Dementia Flashcards
What examinations are carried out when checking for dementia?
Mini Mental state examination
neuro exam
FBC
Inflammatory markers
Thyroid function
MRI
Amyloid PET scan- checking for plaques
CSF fluid from lumbar puncture- amyloid will be lower and tau will be higher
What are the symptoms of Alzheimers disease?
How does it present on an MRI and amyloid/tau (biomarkers) evolution
When can a diagnosis be made?
hippocampus atrophy on MRI
amyloid and tau evolution
episodic memory deficits- memory for particular episodes in life
medial temporal lobe structures (hippocampus)
more common in older people
Irritable
Diagnosis can only be made post-mortem
What are the symptoms of Lew body dementia?
What disease is it similar to?
What effect does it have on the hippocampus?
visual hallucinations
shuffling gait
reduced facial expression
REM sleep disorder
similar symptoms to Parkinson’s
high risk of falls
hippocampus ATROPHY but preserved volume (MRI will show)
decreased dopamine transporter shown in PET scan
What is the cause of Lew body dementia?
aggregation of alpha-Synuclein in primary motor cortex which makes Lew Body
What are the symptoms of frontal temporal dementia?
MRI shows loss of temporal lobe volume (perisylvian)
reduced speech
agitation
dramatic personally changes
lack of empathy
lack of social awareness
lack of hygiene
What mental state examinations are available?
Addenbrookes cognitive examination (ACE)
Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA)
MMI
What are two differential diagnosis of dementia?
Delirium
Depression
