Disorders of Thinking and Memory Flashcards

1
Q

List some causes of dementia

A

Alzheimer’s disease (major cause of dementia)

Acquired

Primary neurodegenerative disease

Stroke

Family history

Diabetes mellitus

Vascular disease

History of head injury

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2
Q

What is the major cause of dementia?

A

Alzheimer’s disease

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3
Q

“Chronic brain syndrome” is also known as what?

A

dementia

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4
Q

Mild cognitive impairment; change in the level of function
The diagnosis involves functional impairment

A

dementia

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5
Q

What are the signs and symptoms of dementia?

A

Short-term memory loss
Word finding difficulty (progressive non-fluent aphasia)
Visuospatial dysfunction
Poor facial recognition
Apathy
Apraxia
Executive dysfunction
Behavioral

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6
Q

What are two tests that can be used to test for dementia?

A

MMSE- Mini Mental Status Exam (The Folstein)

Montreal Cognitive Assessment

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7
Q

What is the most common related neurodegenerative dementia after age 60?

A

Alzheimer’s Disease

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8
Q

What is the gold standard of diagnosis for Alzheimer’s disease?

A

post mortum brain biopsy

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9
Q

B-amyloid-laden senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles makes you think of what diagnosis?

A

Alzheimer’s Disease

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10
Q

The second most common cause of dementia is what type?

A

Vascular Dementia

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11
Q

What is the pathophysiology of vascular dementia?

A

Stepwise accumulation of cognitive symptoms associated with multiple
stroke

Little small strokes over a period of time 🡪 eventually the cumulative effects of the infarcts begins to show up

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12
Q

What is the test of choice for vascular dementia?

A

MRI test of choice

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13
Q

What is the treatment for vascular dementia?

A

There are no treatments specifically for vascular dementia. Treatment aimed at controlling HTN, hyperlipidemia, DM, etc

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14
Q

What is the pathophysiology for Lewy Bodies dementia?

A

Accumulation of alpha synuclein-containing neuronal inclusions

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15
Q

What is a classic finding in Lewy Bodies dementia?

A

Visual hallucinations

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16
Q

Which of the types of dementia is described below?

Shows a more rapid decline than Alzheimer’s
Parkinson’s disease may occur along or after cognitive symptoms start
Patients have difficulty with executive and visuospatial function
Visual hallucinations are classic

A

Lewy Bodies dementia

17
Q

Cortical ribboning and “prion” disease is diagnostic of what type of dementia?

A

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

18
Q

What is the cause of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease?

A

Results from ingestion of beefsteak contaminated with neural tissue
(brain, spinal cord) from livestock infected with bovine spongiform
encephalopathy

19
Q

What type of dementia would you see gait apraxia and “magnetic gait” – feet are stuck to the floor, as well as Urinary incontinence

A

Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus

20
Q

What is the treatment for Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus?

A

Lumbar puncture to drainage excess fluids

If gait improves, lumboperitoneal shunt can be done (long term
management)

21
Q

What are the CT/MRI findings in norma pressure hydrocephalus?

A

ventricles are enlarged, disproportionate to sulcus widening and
overall brain atrophy

22
Q

State of confusion that is acute, abrupt onset with fluctuating course

REVERSIBLE

Refers to a global mental dysfunction marked by a disturbance of consciousness,
especially reduced awareness of the environment and inability to maintain
attention

A

Delirium

23
Q

What are some associated features of Delirium?

A

disruption of the sleep-wake cycle
drowsiness
restlessness
incoherence irritability
emotional liability
perceptual
misinterpretations (illusions)
hallucinations

24
Q

What is the most common cause of delirium?

A

UTI or other infectious source

25
Q

What are some causes of delirium?

A

Infectious
Medication
EtOH intoxication or withdrawal
Seizure
Stroke
Metabolic disorders
Endocrine disorder
Renal disorder
Liver disorder
Nutritional
Sleep deprivation

26
Q

What are some features that someone with delirium would present with?

A

Impaired attention rather than impaired memory (Although delirium can coexist with dementia)

Disorientation

Wandering

Day/night confusion

Exam is often non-focal

27
Q

What are the risk factors for delirium?

A

Underlying dementia

Stroke

Other neurological abnormality

Advanced age

Sensory impairment

28
Q

What is the workup for delirium?

A

extensive lab workup
Brain imaging
EEG

29
Q

What is the treatment/management of delirium?

A

The best treatment is prevention

Management/treatment consists of correcting the underlying cause

Supportive care, reassurance, re-orientation