Dementia

Question 1

What is the definition of delirium?

Answer 1

Delirium is a state of mental confusion that starts suddenly and is caused by a physical condition of some sort. You don’t know where you are, what
time it is, or what’s happening to you. It is also called an ‘acute confusional state’

Question 2

What is peripheral inflammation?

Answer 2

Question 3

What can cause delirium?

Answer 3

Due to interruption in brain blood/glucose supply

Question 4

What are the most common types of dementia?

Answer 4

Question 5

Which symptoms of dementia belong to which type?

Answer 5

• Memory AD VaD
• Language AD FTD VaD
• Visuospatial function AD VaD DLB
• Attention/executive function AD VaD DLB
• Behavioural/personality/social change AD FTD VaD DLB PD
• Motor function VaD DLB PD

Question 6

What is the cause of dementia?

Answer 6

Aβ plaques and NFTs are both intimately associated with AD pathophysiology.

Aβ is a short polypeptide (27-43 AAs, but Aβ42 is especially prevalent) that is found in misfolded ‘plaques’ in extracellular space.

NFTs are found within neurons and are comprised of pTau, a phosphorylated form of Tau, a microtubule-binding protein.

Question 7

What genes are involved in early onset dementia?

Answer 7

Approximately 5-10% of patients with AD have ‘early-onset’ (ie before 65).
~10% of these have autosomal dominant mutations in APP, PSEN1, or PSEN2.

Question 8

How is dementia treat?

Answer 8

Question 9

What are the antibodies against amyloid drugs?

Answer 9

Question 10

What is the Aβ plaque production pathway?

Answer 10

Question 11

What is the mechanism of APOE?

Answer 11

Apolipoprotein E is a prominent gene/protein
known to inhibit amyloid-β clearance through the glymphatic system, and to interact with pTau.

Question 12

Label the dementias

Answer 12

1 Dementia with lewy bodies
2 Alzheimer’s
3 Fronto-temporal dementia
4 Vascular dementia
5 Parkinson’s