Late Life and Neurodegenerative Disorders

Question 1

what is happening to life expectancy

Answer 1

increasing

Question 2

what happens to mental health over the life time

Answer 2

decreases

Question 3

why do older people experience less mental health/negative emotions

Answer 3

less obligations
changes in lifestyle
better at dealing with daily stresses
process negative events less
life pressures decrease

Question 4

confounds with older people and less disorders

Answer 4

new disorders less likely to onset later in life
older people seek out conversations about mental health less
memory issues
difficulty in communicating symptoms
survivor bias

Question 5

what are age effects

Answer 5

what we want to measure

Question 6

what are cohort effects

Answer 6

the consequences of growing up in a particular time period

Question 7

what are time of measurement effects

Answer 7

confounds due to lived events
e.g. loneliness during pandemic

Question 8

what are cross sectional studies

Answer 8

comparing a variable between different age groups at same time

Question 9

what is the positivity bias in ageing

Answer 9

relative number of negative images compared to positive and neutral images recalled, decreased with age

Question 10

what are longitudinal studies

Answer 10

periodically test one group of people using the same measure over time

Question 11

how is dementia caused

Answer 11

when brain is damaged by disease

Question 12

what is dementia

Answer 12

loss of memory and cognitive function interfering with daily life

Question 13

which is the main symptoms of memory loss

Answer 13

Alzheimer’s disease

Question 14

prevalence of dementia

Answer 14

1-2% of people in 60s
20% in people 85 and above

Question 15

how can dementia be prevented

Answer 15

smoking
blood pressure
diabetes
social activity
hearing loss
depression
physical activity
education
alcohol
TBI
air pollution
obesity

Question 16

what is Alzheimer’s disease

Answer 16

a degenerative disease which causes irreversible deterioration of brain tissues

Question 17

how much of dementia does AD account for

Answer 17

60-80%

Question 18

which part of the brain is AD associated with

Answer 18

hippocampus

Question 19

what are plaques

Answer 19

protein deposits outside the neurons

Question 20

which gene is associated with AD development

Answer 20

APOE4

Question 21

does medication help AD

Answer 21

can help slow decline, but does not restore memory function

Question 22

treatments for AD

Answer 22

behavioural approaches
music therapy

Question 23

how does music therapy help AD

Answer 23

can elicit emotions and memories
helps connection with caregivers
improves overall quality of life

Question 24

psychotherapy for AD

Answer 24

bring together patient and family
encourage realistic rather than catastrophic attitude
decrease focus on cognitive deficiencies

Question 25

caregiver interventions and AD

Answer 25

teach coping strategies - increasing social support - activities and exercise

Question 26

when do genetic markers for AD become detectable

Answer 26

from birth

Question 27

frontotemporal dementia

Answer 27

caused by loss of neurons in frontal and temporal regions of brain

Question 28

which demntia has a younger onset

Answer 28

fronto-temporal (mid to late 50s)

Question 29

prevalence of fronto-temporal dementia

Answer 29

less than 1%

Question 30

semantic dementia

Answer 30

naming things, people losing the meaning of words

Question 31

progressive non fluent aphasia

Answer 31

pronouncing things

Question 32

logopenic aphasia

Answer 32

word finding slow speech

Question 33

behavioural variant characteristics of fronto-temporal dementia

Answer 33

early, prominent personality and social changes decreased empathy apathy impaired judgement and insight problems with executive function decreased inhibition, increased compulsivity engaging in preservative behaviour

Question 34

fronto-temporal dementia - treatments

Answer 34

antidepressants antipsychotics non pharmacological treatments (talking, family, speech therapy)

Question 35

why should antipsychotics not be prescribed for fronto-temporal dementia

Answer 35

increased adverse reactions (risk of death)

Question 36

what is lewy body dementia

Answer 36

associated with abnormal deposits of 'lewy body' proteins in brain

Question 37

how do lewy bodies affect chemicals in brain

Answer 37

problems in thinking, movement, behaviour, mood

Question 38

onset of lewy body dementia

Answer 38

age 50

Question 39

average time before death - lewy body dementia

Answer 39

5-8

Question 40

average time before death - AD

Answer 40

12 years

Question 41

cognitive symptoms of lewy body dementia

Answer 41

visual hallucinations disorganised thinking confusion problems with concentration memory problem not evident at start

Question 42

behavioural symptoms of lewy body dementia

Answer 42

depression apathy agitation delusions/paranoia

Question 43

movement symptoms of lewy body dementia

Answer 43

tremors balance issues loss of coordination - falls slow movement, muscle rigidity difficulty swallowing stooped posture

Question 44

sleep symptoms of lewy body dementia

Answer 44

REM behaviour disorder (acting out dreams, injury occurs) restless elgs insomnia hypersomnia

Question 45

which symptoms of lewy body dementia can be treated by medications

Answer 45

cognitive symptom movement symptoms REM sleep behaviour depression

Question 46

how does physical therapy help lewy body dementia

Answer 46

improves strength, flexibility, balance, walking

Question 47

how do occupational therapists help lewy body dementia

Answer 47

teaches skills to maintain ability to perform everyday activities and remain independent

Question 48

how do speech therapists help lewy body dementia

Answer 48

improve swallowing difficulties and ability to speak more clealry

Question 49

what is delirium

Answer 49

a clouded state of consciousness

Question 50

what does delirium consist of

Answer 50

extreme trouble focusing attention disturbances in sleep/wake cycle swings in activity and mood disordered thoughts and perceptions

Question 51

contributing factors to delirium

Answer 51

medication infection surgery alcohol drug intoxication/withdrawal