Dementia Flashcards
What is dementia?
A syndrome of acquired global impairment of higher cerebral function
How common is dementia?
5% of >65yrs
20% of >80yrs
What are the diagnostic criteria for dementia?
Evidence of impairment of memory + >1 of: -language impairment -apraxia -agnosia -impairment of executive functioning Impairment of functioning No other medical/psychiatric explanation Present for >6mo
What is mild cognitive impairment?
Evidence of early memory decline on formal memory tests w/o clinical evidence of other features of dementia
What are the three main phases of dementia?
Early phase
Middle phase
Late phase
What are the features of the early phase of dementia?
Short term memory loss Difficulty embracing change Repetition of qs Minor behavioural changes Lasts 3-4yrs
What are the features of the middle phase of dementia?
Difficulty w/ daily tasks Need frequent prompting Failure to recognise people Hallucinations Increasing support required for daily life
What are the features of the late phase of dementia?
Incontinence
Aggression
Wt loss
Occurs in last 1-2yrs of life
What frontal lobe sx can be present in dementia?
Personality change (dulling of personality, social withdrawal, disinhibition)
Difficulties w/ reasoning/abstract thought
Difficulty initiating actions
What temporal lobe sx can be present in dementia?
Difficulty w/ short term memory
Difficulty holding attention on tasks
Poor speech production
What parietal lobe sx can be present in dementia?
Problems recognising faces/objects (Agnosia)
Difficulty carrying out sequence of actions
Clumsiness
What are the causes of dementia?
Degenerative Vascular Trauma Malignancy Hydrostatic Toxic Endocrine Metabolic Infective Psychiatric
What are the degenerative causes of dementia?
Alzheimer's disease Frontotemporal dementia Lewy Body dementia Parkinson's disease Huntington's disease
What are the vascular causes of dementia?
Multi-infarct dementia
Cerebral infarcts
Binswanger’s disease
Systemic vasculitis
What are the traumatic causes of dementia?
Major head injuries
Repetitive minor trauma
What are the malignant causes of dementia?
1o/2o neoplasm
What are the hydrostatic causes of dementia?
Hydrocephalus
Normal-pressure hydrocephalus
Intracranial haematomas
What are the toxic causes of dementia?
Alcohol-related
Heavy metal poisoning (Wilson’s)
Drug related
What are the endocrine causes of dementia?
Hypothyroidism