Measuring Cognition and Dementia

Question 1

List the two things that impact an ageing population.

Answer 1

Systems and the Government

Question 2

How do systems impact an ageing population?

Answer 2

• Health care systems
• Economies
• Environments
• Societies/ communities/ cultures

Question 3

How does the government impact an ageing population?

Answer 3

• Long-term plans
• New laws/ policies
• Better infrastructure

Question 4

Give a statistic about dementia.

Answer 4

Every 20 years the number of people living with dementia is expected to double.

Question 5

What is the estimated cost on dementia for 2030?

Answer 5

1 trillion USD rising to 2 trillion USD by 2030

Question 6

Define cognition.

Answer 6

The mental processes that take place in the brain.

Question 7

List the 2 cognitive abilities.

Answer 7

Fluid and crystallised.

Question 8

What is fluid ability?

Answer 8

Earlier cognitive decline.

Question 9

What is crystallised ability?

Answer 9

Stable into later life.

Question 10

What is the importance of the brain?

Answer 10

Control centre of our thinking, planning, organising, problem-solving, and language abilities.

Question 11

How is the brain affected by age?

Answer 11

With age, physical changes can cause changes to cognitive ability.

Question 12

Define dementia.

Answer 12

A syndrome (a group of related symptoms) associated with an ongoing decline of brain functioning.

Question 13

What is dementia characterised by?

Answer 13

Severe deficits in cognitive abilities, which worsen and affect more domains as the disease progresses.

Question 14

Is there a cure for dementia?

Answer 14

No

Question 15

What is the cause of dementia?

Answer 15

Causes remain unclear

Question 16

List 4 sub-types of dementia.

Answer 16

• Alzheimers
• Parkinson’s
• Vascular dementia
• Frontotemporal dementia

Question 17

How is the frontal lobe of the brain affected by dementia?

Answer 17

Affected by frontal temporal dementia (FTD). Resulting in personality changes and inappropriate behaviour.

Question 18

How is the temporal lobe of the brain affected by dementia?

Answer 18

Temporal lobe involves memory, language and understanding. Affected by Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)

Question 19

How is the occipital lobe of the brain affected by dementia?

Answer 19

Involved in visual processing, determining shapes, colour and movement. Affected by a rare form of Alzheimer’s disease called Posterior Cortical Atrophy (PCA).

Question 20

How is the parietal lobe of the brain affected by dementia?

Answer 20

Affected by Posterior Cortical Atrophy (PCA).

Question 21

How is the motor and sensory cortex of the brain affected by dementia?

Answer 21

Affected by dementia with Lewy body (DLB). Causing hallucinations and fluctuation in consciousness. Also affected in Vascular dementia (VaD).

Question 22

What are the challenges with measuring dementia?

Answer 22

• Different types of dementia tend to target particular parts of the brain, but clinical symptoms do not strictly reflect a specific aetiology
• Ageing is associated with many chronic diseases, some that affect the brain and influence cognition

Question 23

What is Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)?

Answer 23

Transitional stage between normal ageing and early dementia.

Question 24

Is MCI recognised as a separate clinical condition?

Answer 24

Yes

Question 25

Does all MCI convert to dementia?

Answer 25

No

Question 26

How does the clinical dementia diagnosis work?

Answer 26

- Impairment compromising functions of everyday (comprehensive assessment) - Severe deficits mainly within the fluid cognitive abilities, worsen and affect more domains - Decline in memory, ability to judge, think, plan and organise, or a significant change in behaviour

Question 27

List the two main diagnostic classification systems for clinical diagnosis.

Answer 27

- WHO - International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11) - APA - Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM 5-TR)

Question 28

How is cognitive function measured clinically?

Answer 28

- Assessment of mental abilities (such as memory, language and concentration) - Tests to exclude causes of symptoms that can be confused with dementia - Brain scans can be used for diagnosing dementia once the simpler tests have ruled out other problems (not essential)

Question 29

Define 'dementia prevalence'.

Answer 29

The number of people with dementia at a given point in time.

Question 30

Define 'dementia incidence'.

Answer 30

The number of new cases of dementia diagnosed over a specified time period.

Question 31

What is the criteria for dementia?

Answer 31

- Decline in ≥ 2 cognitive domains (including memory), - Interference with social or occupational functioning - Absence of an alternative explanation (i.e. depression/delirium)