Dementia Flashcards
What is a synonym for “Dementia”?
Major neurocognitive disorder
Diagnostic criteria for dementia (4)
- Evidence of significant cognitive decline from a previous level of performance in one or more cognitive domains both subjectively and objectively reported
- Deficits interfere with independent functioning
- No delirium
- No other more probable diagnosis
Name the cognitive domains (6)
- Complex attention
- Executive function
- Learning and memory
- Language
- Perceptual-motor
- Social cognition
Name 6 instrumental activities of daily living
- Dressing
- Eating
- Ambulating
- Toileting
- Hygiene
- Showering
Name 7 activities of daily living
- Shopping
- Housework
- Accounting
- Food preparation
- Telephone
- Transportation
- Taking medication
Differential diagnosis for Memory loss
- Major neurocognitive disorder
- Mild neurocognitive disorder
- Delirium
- Depression
- Stoke/TIA
- Seizure
Physical exam for patient with memory loss
- Neurological exam
- Gait assessment
- Extrapyramidal symptoms assessment
- Parkinson’s symptoms (cogwheeling, rigidity, tremors)
Investigations
- Memory testing
- Depression screening
- HGB
- WBC
- Glucose
- Creatinine
- Calcium
- TSH
- B 12
- Syphilis
- CT Head
Name one investigation to do before initiating pharmacotherapy for dementia
EKG
Indications for CT head
< 60 yo Abrupt, rapid decline Focal neurological symptoms Urinary incontinence Gait disorder Previous malignancy Trauma Anticoagulants or history of bleeding disorder If presence of cerebrovascular disease would change management
List four memory testing tools
MMSE
MOCA
Mini-cog (Clock drawing and 3 word recall)
Hopkins Verbal learning test
MMSE score for diagnosis of major neurocognitive disorder
<24/30
MoCA Interpretation
27-30 Normal
18-26 Mild impairment
10-17 Moderate impairment
<10 Severe impairment
MMSE Interpretation
26 to 30 Normal 20 To 25 Mild cognitive impairment 10 to 18 moderate cognitive impairment 3 to 9 severe cognitive impairment Less than 3 very severe cognitive impairment
Name possible causes of delirium
Infection Medications Thyroid dysregulation Sodium dysregulation Glucose abnormalities Vitamin B 12 deficiency Pain
Name possible medication causes of Delirium
Polypharmacy Opioids Cholinergic and anticholinergic Benzodiazepines Antidepressants Antipsychotics Steroids
Name 6 types of dementia
Alzheimer’s disease Vascular dementia Mixed Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia Lewy body dementia Frontotemporal dementia Parkingson’s disease with dementia
Which is the most common type of dementia?
Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 50% of dementia
Is the onset of Alzheimer’s disease gradual or abrupt?
Gradual onset
What is the initial and most prominent deficit in Alzheimer’s disease?
Amnestic impairment: impairment in learning and recall of recently learned information
Describe the evolution of vascular dementia
Abrupt onset with stepwise deterioration
Which type of risk factors are associated with vascular dementia?
Cardiovascular risk factors (Smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemia, previous myocardial infarction, previous strokes, documented TIAs, strong family history)
True or false. Impairment of executive function is associated with Alzheimer’s disease than with vascular dementia.
False: impairment of executive function is more related to vascular dementia.
If patient presents with history of memory loss and focal neurological features, which type of dementia do you suspect?
Vascular dementia
What are the main features of frontotemporal dementia?
Behavioural problems such as disinhibition and loss of social awareness
Language impairment