Dementia Flashcards
In relation to dementia, what is meant by cognitive reserve?
The resilience or plasticity of cognitive networks in the face of disruption
What are the 4 most common types of dementia?
Alzheimer’s disease
Vascular dementia
Dementia with Lewy Bodies
Frontotemporal dementia
Which type of dementia is associated with Parkinsonism?
Dementia with Lewy Bodies
Which type of memory is typically affected first in Alzheimer’s disease?
Episodic memory
What are the 3 key symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease?
Memory loss
Visuospatial perceptual problems
Difficulty with problem solving and executive function
In Alzheimer’s disease, episodic memory loss is linked to lesions in which 3 areas?
Medial temporal lobe
Enterohinal cortex
Hippocampus
In Alzheimer’s disease, visuospatial problems are linked to lesions in which area?
Temporoparietal association areas
In Alzheimer’s disease, difficulties with problem solving and executive function are linked to lesions in which area?
Prefrontal areas
In Alzheimer’s disease, what happens to the ventricles?
Ventricular dilation - in response to shrinking of the brain
In Alzheimer’s disease, there is profound neuronal loss in which nucleus?
Nucleus basalis of Meynert
In Alzheimer’s disease, there is a reduction in which neurotransmitter?
Acetylcholine
What are the 2 pathophysiological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease?
Amyloid plaques
Neurofibrillary tangles
In Alzheimer’s disease, what are neurofibrillary tangles caused by / made from?
Hyperphosphorylated tau proteins
Describe the formation of amyloid plaques.
Amyloid precursor protein (APP) is cleaved to produce AB peptides. AB peptides aggregate into insoluble amyloid plaques
What are the 2 main forms of AB peptides?
AB40
AB42
Which AB peptide is associated with dementia?
AB42
AB40 peptide is associated with what pathology?
Cerebral amyloid angiopathy
Early onset Alzheimer’s disease has what inheritance pattern and which 3 genes could carry the mutation?
Autosomal dominant
APP
PSen1
PSen2
What is a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease?
Variant of the Apolipoprotein E gene on chromosome 19
Vascular dementia progresses in which kind of fashion?
Step-wise progression
Visual hallucinations are a symptoms of which kind of dementia?
Lewy Bodies dementia
Which 2 areas are affected in Braak stages I + II?
Medulla + Olfactory bulbs
Which 3 areas are affected in Braak stages III + IV?
Midbrain, Amygdala, + Hippocampus
Which areas are affected in Braak stages V + VI?
Neocortex, motor and sensory cortices
What are the 2 types of frontotemporal dementia?
Behavioural variant
Language variant
In frontotemporal dementia, what are the 2 types of the language variant?
Semantic
Progressive non-fluent aphasia
