Geriatrics Flashcards

1
Q

Features acute confusional state (delirium)

A
  • Memory disturbance
  • Agitation or withdrawn
  • Disorientation
  • Mood change
  • Visual hallucinations
  • Disturbed sleep cycle
  • Poor attention
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2
Q

Management acute confusional state

A

Treatment of underlying cause
Modification of environment
Consider haloperidol or olanzapine

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3
Q

Management acute confusional state in Parkinsons

A

Consider careful reduction of Parkinson medication
If symptoms require urgent treatment then atypical antipsychotics such as quetiapine and clozapine

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4
Q

Non-pharmacological management Alzheimer’s

A
  • Group cognitive stimulation therapy with mild and moderate dementia
  • Group reminiscence therapy and cognitive rehabilitation
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5
Q

First line pharmacological management Alzheimer’s disease

A

Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors:
- Donepezil
- Galantamine
- Rivastigmine

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6
Q

Second line treatment Alzheimer’s disease

A

Memantine (NMDA receptor antagonist)

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7
Q

When is memantine used

A
  • Moderate Alzeimer’s who are intolerance of, or contraindication to, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors
  • Add on drug to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors for patients with moderate-severe asthma
  • Monotherapy in severe asthma
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8
Q

Use of anti-psychotic medications in Alzheimer’s

A

Only used for patients at risk of harming themselves or others, or when agitation, hallucinations, or delusions causing severe depression

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9
Q

CI’s donepezil

A

Bradycardia (relative)

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10
Q

Adverse effects donepezil

A

Insomnia

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11
Q

Dementia assessment tools in non-specialist setting recommended by NICE

A

10-point cognitive screener (10-CS)
6 item cognitive impairment test (6CIT)

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12
Q

Investigation in primary care for suspected dementia

A

Blood screen to exclude reversible causes - FBC, U&E, LFTs, calcium, glucose, ESR/CRP, TFTs, vitamin B12, folate

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13
Q

Investigation in secondary care for suspected dementia

A

Neuroimaging to exclude reversible conditions, e.g. subdural haematoma, normal pressure hydrocephlaus

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14
Q

Types of frontotemporal lobar degeneration

A

Frontotemporal dementia (Pick’s disease)
Progressive non-fluent aphasia
Semanic dementia

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15
Q

Common features of frontotemporal lobar dementias

A

Onset before 65
Insidious onset
Relatively preserved memory and visuospatial skills
Personality change and social conduct problems

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16
Q

Features frontotemporal dementia (Picks disease)

A
  • Personality change
  • Impaired social conduct
  • Hyperorality
  • Disinhibition
  • Increased appetite
  • Perseveration behaviours
17
Q

CT changes frontotemporal dementia

A

Focal gyral atrophy with knife-blade appearance

18
Q

Microscopic changes frontotemoral dementia

A

Pick bodies - spherical aggregations of tau protein
Gliosis
Neurofibrillary tangles
Senile plaques

19
Q

Features chronic progressive aphasia

A

Non fluent speech
Short utterances that are agrammatic
Comprehension relatively preserved

20
Q

Presentation semantic dementia

A

Fluent progressive aphasia - speech fluent but empty and conveys little meaning
Memory better for recent rather than remote events

21
Q

Macroscopic changes Alzheimers

A

Widespread cerebral atrophy, particularly involving cortex and hippocampus

22
Q

Microscopic changes Alzheimer’s

A

Cortical plaques due to deposition of type A-beta-amyloid protein and intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles causes by abnormal aggregation of tau protein
Hyperphosphorylyation of tau protein

23
Q

Characteristic pathological feature of Lewy body dementia

A

Alpha-synuclein cytoplasmic inclusions (Lewy bodies) in the substantia nigra, paralimbic, and neocortical areas

24
Q

Features Lewy body dementia

A

Progressive cognitive impairment
Parkinsonism
Visual hallucinations

25
Features of cognitive impairment in Lewy body dementia
Typically occurs before parkinsonism, but usually both features occur within a year of each other Congition may be flucutating Early impairments in attention and executive function rather than just memory loss
26
Diagnosis Lewy body dementia
Usually clinical SPECT increasingly used
27
Management Lewy body dementia
Acetylcholineterase inhibitors and memantine as in Alzheimer's
28
Neuroleptics in Lewy body dementia
Should be avoided - patients extremely sensitive and may develop irreversible Parkinsonism
29
What is vascular dementia
Group of syndromes of cognitive impairment caused by different mechanisms causing ischaemia or haemorrhage secondary to cerebrovascular disease
30
Presentation vascular dementia
Several months/years of history of sudden or stepwise deterioration of cognitive function Focal neurological abnormalities, e.g. visual disturbance, sensory or motor symptoms Difficulty with attention and concentration Seizures Memory disturbance Gait disturbance Speech disturbance Emotional disturbance
31
MRI findings vascular dementia
May show infarcts and extensive white matter changes
32
Non-pharmacological management options in vascular dementia
Cognitive stimulation programmes Multisensory stimulation Music and art therapy Animal-assisted therapy
33
Pharmacological management vascular dementia
Only consider AChE inhibitors or memantine if suspected comorbid forms of dementia that respond No evidence of effectiveness of aspirin or statins