Dementia Flashcards
Is dementia a diagnosis or a clinical syndrome
syndrome
Most common type of dementia
55% Alzheimers
2nd most common type of dementia
25% vascular (can be mixed w alzheimers)
3rd most common type of dementia
Lewy body 10%
Prevalence of lewy body dementia?
5%
Prevalence of dementia at 90y
25%
Diagnostic criteria of dementia (3)
Multiple cognitive defecits
Resulting impairment in ADLs
Clear consciousness
Do pts with dementia normally have insight?
No often
Can pts with dementia get psychotic symptoms? If so which ones?
Yes
persecutory delusions (made worse by forgetfulness)
visual and auditory hallucinations
What are BPSDs?
Behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia
What should you include in an assessment of susp. dementia (1st presentation)?
- ask about concerns, cognitive, behav and psych symptoms
- Risk factors, co-morbidities and drugs
- Discuss possibility of dementia
- Assess cognition
- Assess daily functioning
- Exacerbating factors for BPSD
- Examination
- Investigations
Which co-morbidities are especially relevant in an assessment of susp. dementia (1st presentation)?
Stroke
Epilepsy
Depression
Which risk factors are there in an assessment of susp. dementia (1st presentation)?
FHx
Learning disabilities
Stroke
Parkinsons
Which drugs are relevant in an assessment of susp. dementia (1st presentation)?
Benzos
Anticholinergics
Analgesics
Examples of cognitive symptoms to ask about in an assessment of susp. dementia (1st presentation)?
memory
concentration
Language
Orientation
Examples of behavioural sx to ask in an assessment of susp. dementia (1st presentation)?
aggression
wandering
restless
inappropriate behaviour
Examples of psych sx to ask in an assessment of susp. dementia (1st presentation)?
hallucinations
delusions
mood
What should you include when you discuss the possibility of dementia in an assessment of susp. dementia (1st presentation)?
advise more detailed assessment
Ask if they’d like to know the diagnosis
Who they would want to involve
How do you assess cognition in an assessment of susp. dementia (1st presentation)?
MMSE (accounting for e.g. education level, language, sensory deficits, previous functioning)
What do you assess in daily functioning in an assessment of susp. dementia (1st presentation)?
Personal care, managing finances, taking drug treatments
Safety and home and outside
Social functioning and support
Driving
What are exacerbating factors for BPSD in an assessment of susp. dementia (1st presentation)?
Co-morbs and acute illness (pain, infection, constipation, dehydration, anaemia, delirium)
Underlying psych
Sensory- visual and hearing
Drug SEs
Able to communicate verbally
Carer- emotional upset? Able to communicate w pt?
Environment- change, routine, over or under stimulated?
what examinations do you do in an assessment of susp. dementia (1st presentation)?
Neuro for FND
Gait and balance
Cardio- HTN, arrhyth…
Wt loss
Visual and auditory
Other acute illness
Investigations in an assessment of susp. dementia (1st presentation)?
Bloods: FBC, ESR, Ca, U&Es, LFTs, HbA1c, TFTs, B12 and folate
If indicated- MSU, CXR, ECG, syphilis screen, HIV
What are the 5 As of alzheimers?
amnesia
agnosia
aphasia
apraxia
associated BPSD
Key feature of Alzheimers?
Gradual onset with memory loss
Macroscopic changes seen in Alzheimers?
Cortical atrophy
Enlarged ventricles
Microscopic changes seen in Alzheimers?
Neurofibrillary tangles
Amyloid plaques (beta)
Decreased Acetylcholine
Describe the amyloid cascade hypothesis for Alzheimers
APP gene –>
amyloid precursor protein –>
Aβ protein plaques are cleaved off APP by secretase enzyme (which is coded for by presenelin 1 and 2 genes), these aggregate –>
toxicity, inflammation, oxidative stress, tau dysfunction and neurofibrin tangle formation–>
leads to neuronal death and dysfunction
What are three genes whose mutations are implicated in familial (early onset) Alzheimers?
APP gene
Presenelin 1
Presenelin 2