Memory & Disease Flashcards
The gradual loss of brain function due to physical changes in brain structure is referred to as:
Dementia
Memory loss, impaired reasoning, reduced language skills and reduced daily living skills are symptoms of which series of diseases?
Dementia
Alzheimer’s disease is a type of which illness?
Dementia
Cognitive symptoms may appear up to a year before an official diagnosis of Alzheimer’s is made. True or false?
True
Phonemic & semantic verbal fluency (SVF) tests can be used to assess which type of dementia?
Alzheimer’s
SVF tests are used to assess ____ fluency and ____ fluency potentially affected by Alzheimer’s:
Phonemic; semantic
What is the primary risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease?
Age
What are the 4 main risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease?
Age; family history; genetic disposition; familial/early onset Alzheimer’s disease
What risk factor for Alzheimer’s is linked to the PSEN1, 2 & APP gene mutations?
Familial/early onset AD
The APOE gene can be found on which chromosome?
Chromosome 19
How many variations of the APOE gene are there?
3
What is the current prevalence of AD in New Zealand?
20%
The likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s remains the same for each year after 65. True or false?
False - it doubles every 5 years
What neurotransmitter is broken down by the cholinesterase enzyme?
Acetylcholine
A deficiency in which type of neurotransmitter may responsible for producing Alzheimer’s?
Acetylcholine
Donepezil, rivastigmine and reminyl are types of _____ inhibitors that can be administered to AD sufferers in order to give acetylcholine time to transmit messages:
Cholinesterase
Which protein is ‘cleaved’ thus producing beta-amyloid plaques?
Amyloid precursor proteins (APP)
Which 2 types of secretases are involved in the production of beta-amyloid?
Beta-secretase; gamma-secretase
Amyloid plaque location correlates precisely with the symptoms of Alzheimer’s. True or false?
False
___ proteins bind to ____, which support neural structure:
Tau; microtubules
The tangling of degenerated tau proteins is thought to cause which symptom of Alzheimer’s?
Memory loss
_____ regulate the formation of tight junctions, which keeps the blood brain barrier (BBB) intact:
Pericytes
Which gene variant is associated with the disruption of tight junctions?
APOE4
The presence of which variant of APOE is believed to cause a higher risk in cognitive decline?
4
Better early and ongoing education is said to decrease the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease. True or false?
True
