Dementia Flashcards
What is dementia?
Irreversible brain damage leading to problems with memory, cognition and orientation
What are the common causes of dementia?
Alzheimer’s disease
Vascular dementia
Lewy-body dementia
Fronto-temporal dementia
What are the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease?
Loss of visual-spatial skill
Memory issues
Cognition deficits
What is the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s?
Accumulation of B-amyloid peptide
Results in
- progressive neuronal damage
- neurofibrillary tangles
- increased senile plaques
- loss of ACh
What gene is associated with Alzheimer’s?
Presenelin gene on chromosome 1, 14
What can be seen on brain imaging?
Brain atrophy
- widened sulci
- larger ventricles
How is Alzheimer’s managed?
Cholinesterase inhibitors
Memantine - antiglutamatergic
What is vascular dementia?
Cumulative effect of lots of mini strokes
What is the progression of vascular dementia?
Stepwise
What are the symptoms of Lewy-body dementia?
Fluctuating cognitive loss
Parkinsonism
Hallucinations
What is the pathophysiology of Lewy-body dementia?
Lewy bodies = alpha-synuclein accumualtions
Build up in brainstem and neocortex
What is fronto-temporal dementia?
Frontal and temporal atrophy without Alzheimer histology
What is the onset of fronto-temporal dementia?
Typically before 65
What are the symptoms of fronto-temporal dementia?
Behaviour/personality change
Loss of inhibition
