Exam of cognition Flashcards
When would you perform the Mental status/cognitive exam?
Right after the history
What are executive functions?
thinking abstractly, planning
What does arousal refer to (non-sexual, of course)?
Slow fluctuations in alertness that relate to circadian rhythm, food intake and drug effects by opening, localizing or tracking with head/eye movement to stimulus.
What do you test when checking A + O 3-4?
Alert and oriented to person, place, time and situation/circumstance
What do you do if the pt does not respond to gentle touch?
Provide noxious stimulus, as in sternal rub or nail bed pressure
How do we document ability to follow commands?
Time it takes to respond
1 step/2 step commands?
% time able to sustain attention/respond to commands
What is a disturbance in motivation described as?
Apathy or abuila when extreme
How are motivation and initiative related?
Pt needs motivation/desire to reach goal and initiative to follow through and finish.
What is affect?
External expression of emotional feeling, tone and mood.
What is lability?
laughing/crying uncontrollably
What kind of affect do pts with parkinsons have?
Desecribed as having flat affect but not actually true. Just due to the lack of motor control of the face. With true affect you are not able to process humor.
What is dysarthria?
difficulty talking, pronouncing words
What is dysphonia?
disorders of the voice. Inability to produce much sound. Voice sounds breathy, hoarse, harsh or rough
What is Wernicke’s aphasia?
Fluent Aphasia. Seems like normal rate of speech even though words not appropriate, impaired auditory comprehension
What is Broca’s aphasia?
Limited vocabulary, hesitant speech, adequate auditory comprehension
What does perception deal with?
Integration of sensory impressions into information that is meaningful by selecting, integrating and interpreting meaningful stimuli.
What is a body image/schema disorder?
Difficulties with awareness of body parts and their relationship to one another and the environment.
- right/left discrimination
- unilateral neglect
What is Anosognosia?
Unawareness or denial of deficits/severity of defecits.
What is a spatial relation disorder?
Difficulty in perceiving oneself in relation to other objects.
- Topographic orientation
- figure ground perception
What is apraxia?
Inability to carry out purposeful movement in presence of intact sensation, movement and coordination
What are the 5 types of apraxia?
Verbal
Buccofacial
Constructional
Dressing
What is ideomotor apraxia?
inability to correctly imitate hand gestures and voluntarily mime tool use
What is ideational apraxia?
inability to conceptualize motor planning with objects, usually with L sided brain damage
What is a MMSE?
Mini Mental Status Examination.
-screening test for identifying unrecognized cognitive disorders in elders
