Geriatrics Exam 2 Flashcards
Ependymal cells
CSF cells
Astrocytes
Bring blood to neurons
Oligodendrocytes
Myelinate the neurons
Microglial cells
CNS macrophages - remove waste and heal neurons
Nonfunctioning microglia
Chronic pain
Malfunctioning neurons
ALS
Parkinsons
Stroke
Alzheaimer
Malfunctioning oligodendrocytes
Leukodystrophy
Multiple sclerosis
Neuromyelitis optica
Malfunctioning cerebral blood vessels
Infection
Hepatic encephalopathy
Migraine
Brain edema
Generalized cerebral atrophy
Affects a limited area of the brain - cerebral palsy, Picks disease
Generalized cerebral atrophy
Brain shrinks
3 symptoms of cerebral atrophy
Dementia, Seizures, Aphasia
Leptomeninges
Insulation - Pia, Dura
Key historical information for a cognitive assessment
Duration
Memory
Language
Visuospatial
Executive function
Apraxia
Alzheimer disease
Amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary/tau tangles
Neurons can’t communicate and brain atrophies
Risk factors for alzheimers
Age
Female
Ape e4 gene
Hx of head trauma
Lower educational level
Diabetes
Down syndrome
Classic triad of alzheimers disease
Difficulty learning and recalling information
Visuospatial problems
Language impairment
Usually noticed by friends and family first
Moderate alzheimers
Recalling demographics
Short attention span
Repetitive statements
Trouble reading/writing
Easily lost
Signs of severe alzheimers disease
Weight loss
Incontinence
Increased infections
Absent recognition of familiar individuals
Unable to communicate effectively
Difference between dementia and delerium
Acute - Delerium
Chronic - Dementia
Diagnostics for Alzheimers disease
Clinical diagnosis
Use imaging to rule out other etiologies
Progressive atrophy of brain tissue
First Line Treatment for AD
Acetylcholine esterase inhibitors
Donepezil
Rivastigmine - Transdermal
Galantamine
SE of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors
Nausea, Anorexia, Sleep disturbance, diarrhea
Serious - Bradycardia, AV block, SYncope
NMDA receptor antagonists
Also for alzheimers mod to severe or non-responsive to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors
Reduces destruction of cholinergic neurons
Memantine (Namenda)
SEs of NMDA receptor antagoinists
Dizziness, HA, Confusion , Constipation
Namzaric
Combines acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and NMDA antagonist (donepezil and Namenda)
Non-pharm interventions for alzheimers disease
Physical, Mental and social activity
Music therapy
Additional adjunct meds for alzheimers
SSRI for depression
trazodone for sleep wake
4 complications of alzheimers
Poor nutritional intake
Urinary incontinence
Skin breakdown
Infections
When to d/c alzheimers meds
When patient can no longer express needs
Vascular dementia presentation
Less severe memory impairment than AD
Difficulty with timed activities/executive function - one minute test
Behavior and psych similar to AD
Depression MORE severe than AD
Few focal deficits
Imaging and treatment for vascular dementia
MRI may show infarcts/white matter lesions
Same tx as AD
Risks for vascular dementia
HTN
Smoking
DM
Statins
Antiplatelets
Lewy body dementia etiology
Deposits of alpha synuclein at presynaptic terminals
Unknown pathophys
Average age of onset at 75
Clinical presentation of lewy body dementia
Spontaneous parkinsonism
Fluctuating cognitive impairment
More severe visuospatial, problems solving and processing difficulties
Visual hallucinations, delusional misidentification
No tremors or response to levadopa
Diagnostics for Lewy Body dementia
Greater atrophy of the basal ganglia structures and dorsal midbrain - seen on MRI
Areas of atrophy more characteristic of alzheimers
Medial temporal lobe and hippocampus
McKeith criteria for Lewy Body diagnosis
Probable
Two core clinical features w/o biomarkers OR One clinical feature w/ biomarkers
Possible
One core clinical feature only or biomarkers only
Biomarkers for lewy body dementia
Preservation of medial/temporal lobe structures
Low SPECT/PET dopamine uptake with reduced occipital activity
Prominent posterior slow wave activity on EEG with periodic fluctuations
Core clinical features for Lewy Body dementia
Fluctuating cognition
Well-formed, detailed, recurrent visual hallucinations
REM sleep disorder
Brakinesia, rest tremor, rigidity (Parkinsonian signs)
Diagnosis of Lewy Body
Only definitive via autopsy
More pronounced cortical atrophy than PD
Tx for Lewy body dementia
Cholinesterase inhibitors
Mixed evidence for memantine
Atypical antipsychotics ONLY if severe psychosis
SSRI
Melatonin
Fludrocortisone for orthostatic hypotension
Clinical course of Lewy body
10 year survival
Decrease of MMSE 4-5 points per year
Frontotemporal dementia presentation
Focal atrophy of frontotemporal cortex
Behavioral variance
Semantic progressive aphasia - decoding
Primary progressive aphasia - Inability to produce words
Management of frontotemporal dementia
Safety - driving
Exercise
Speech therapy
Pharm only if behavior modification fails - SSRI or Trazodone
Presentationof Normal pressure hydrocephalus (3)
Dementia, incontinence and gait problems
Management of normal pressure hydrocephalus
Ventricular shunting abdomen - MC or heart - LC
Diagnostics for normal pressure hyrdrocephalus
MRI of brain showing ventriculomegaly out of proportion to sulcal enlargement
LP for normal pressure hydrocephalus
Normal opening pressure
Remove 30-50cc of CSF
If gait improves after LP there is a good prognosis for ventricular shunt placement
Clinical presentation of delerium
Acute with fluctuating symptoms
Attention deficits
Cognitive impairment
3 approaches to the treatment of delerium
Identification and treatment of the underlying cause
Eradication or minimization of contributing factors
Management of delerium symptoms