Measuring Cognition and Dementia Flashcards
List the two things that impact an ageing population.
Systems and the Government
How do systems impact an ageing population?
- Health care systems
- Economies
- Environments
- Societies/ communities/ cultures
How does the government impact an ageing population?
- Long-term plans
- New laws/ policies
- Better infrastructure
Give a statistic about dementia.
Every 20 years the number of people living with dementia is expected to double.
What is the estimated cost on dementia for 2030?
1 trillion USD rising to 2 trillion USD by 2030
Define cognition.
The mental processes that take place in the brain.
List the 2 cognitive abilities.
Fluid and crystallised.
What is fluid ability?
Earlier cognitive decline.
What is crystallised ability?
Stable into later life.
What is the importance of the brain?
Control centre of our thinking, planning, organising, problem-solving, and language abilities.
How is the brain affected by age?
With age, physical changes can cause changes to cognitive ability.
Define dementia.
A syndrome (a group of related symptoms) associated with an ongoing decline of brain functioning.
What is dementia characterised by?
Severe deficits in cognitive abilities, which worsen and affect more domains as the disease progresses.
Is there a cure for dementia?
No
What is the cause of dementia?
Causes remain unclear
List 4 sub-types of dementia.
- Alzheimers
- Parkinson’s
- Vascular dementia
- Frontotemporal dementia
How is the frontal lobe of the brain affected by dementia?
Affected by frontal temporal dementia (FTD). Resulting in personality changes and inappropriate behaviour.
How is the temporal lobe of the brain affected by dementia?
Temporal lobe involves memory, language and understanding. Affected by Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)
How is the occipital lobe of the brain affected by dementia?
Involved in visual processing, determining shapes, colour and movement. Affected by a rare form of Alzheimer’s disease called Posterior Cortical Atrophy (PCA).
How is the parietal lobe of the brain affected by dementia?
Affected by Posterior Cortical Atrophy (PCA).
How is the motor and sensory cortex of the brain affected by dementia?
Affected by dementia with Lewy body (DLB). Causing hallucinations and fluctuation in consciousness. Also affected in Vascular dementia (VaD).
What are the challenges with measuring dementia?
- 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
What is Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)?
Transitional stage between normal ageing and early dementia.
Is MCI recognised as a separate clinical condition?
Yes
Does all MCI convert to dementia?
No
How does the clinical dementia diagnosis work?
- 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
List the two main diagnostic classification systems for clinical diagnosis.
- WHO - International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11)
- APA - Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM 5-TR)
How is cognitive function measured clinically?
- 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)
Define ‘dementia prevalence’.
The number of people with dementia at a given point in time.
Define ‘dementia incidence’.
The number of new cases of dementia diagnosed over a specified time period.
What is the criteria for dementia?
- Decline in ≥ 2 cognitive domains (including memory),
- Interference with social or occupational functioning
- Absence of an alternative explanation (i.e. depression/delirium)
