Module 27: Neurocognitive Disorders Flashcards
Focal
involve circumscribed areas of abnormal change in brain structure
Diffuse
widespread damage
What are the different neurocognitive disorders?
- Delirium
- Major Neurocognitive Disorder
- Mild Neurocognitive Disorder
- Dementia
- Alzheimer’s
- Vascular Injury
- Frontotemporal Degeneration
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Lewy Body Disease
- Parkinson’s Disease
- HIV Infection
- Substance-Use
- Huntington’s
- Prion Disease
Delirium
+ characterized by impaired consciousness and cognition during the course of several hours or days
+ appear confused, disoriented, and out of touch with their surroundings
What is delirium associated with?
often associated with disturbance in sleep wake cycle (daytime sleepiness, nighttime agitation, difficulty falling asleep, excessive sleepiness, or wakefulness at night)
How can the effects of delirium be described?
effects may more lasting
When can children experience delirium?
can be experienced by children who have high fevers or taking certain medication
Prognosis of Delirium
reversible
Delirium occurs during the course of what disorder?
occurs during the course of dementia
Is treatment necessary for an individual to fully recover from delirium?
full recovery with or without treatment
Major Neurocognitive Disorder
gradual deterioration of brain functioning that affects memory, judgement, language, and other advanced cognitive process
Mild Neurocognitive Disorder
+ early stages of cognitive declines
+ most impairments in cognitive abilities but can, with some accommodations
Dementia
describe a group of symptoms affecting memory, thinking, and social abilities severely enough to interfere daily life
Alzheimer’s
+ most common type of neurocognitive disorder, usually occurring after the age 65, marked most prominently by memory impairment
+ inability to integrate new information results to failure to learn new association
What does the prognosis of Alzheimer’s usually begin with?
Usually begins with mild memory problems, lapses of attention, and difficulties in language and communication
Biological Background of Alzheimer’s
Excessive senile plaques (sphere-shaped deposits of beta-amyloid protein that form in the spaces between certain neurons and in certain blood vessels of the brain as people age) and neurofibrillary tangles (twisted protein fibers that form within certain neurons)
What does Alzheimer’s include?
includes multiple cognitive deficits that develop gradually and steadily
What disorders are comorbid with Alzheimer’s?
Anomia, Apraxia, Agnosia, Amnesia, Aphasia
Prognosis of Alzheimer’s
cognitive deterioration is slow during the early and later stages but more rapid during middle stages
Vascular Injury
+ when the blood vessels in the brain are blocked or damaged and no longer carry oxygen and other nutrients to certain areas of brain tissues, damage results
+ declines in speed of information processing and executive functioning
Frontotemporal Degeneration
+ categorize a variety of brain disorders that damage the frontal or temporal regions of the brain – areas that affect personality, language, and behavior
+ declines in appropriate behavior or language
Pick’s Disease (Frontotemporal Degeneration)
rare neurological condition that produces symptoms similar to Alzheimer’s, usually occurring in relatively early in life (40s or 50s)
Traumatic Brain Injury
symptoms must persist for at least a week following the trauma, including executive dysfunction and problems with learning and memory
Lewy Body Disease
+ Second most common neurocognitive disorder
+ involves the buildup of clumps of protein deposits called Lewy Bodies, within many neurons
+ Features significant movement difficulties, visual hallucinations, and sleep disturbances
Prognosis of Lewy Body Disease
gradual and include impairment in alertness and attention, vivid visual hallucinations, and motor impairment
Parkinson’s Disease
+ second most common neurodegenerative disorder
+ slowly progressive neurological disorder marked by tremors, rigidity, and unsteadiness
+ motor problems, tend to have stooped posture, slow body movements (bradykinesia), tremors, and jerkiness
What can Parkinson’s Disease involve?
can also involve depression, anxiety, apathy, cognitive problems, and even positive symptoms
Biological Background of Parkinson’s Disease
damage in dopamine pathways, loss of dopamine neurons in substantia nigra
HIV Infection
+ HIV infection seems to be responsible for the neurological impairment
+ clumsy, repetitive movements, and become apathetic and socially withdrawn
What are the early symptoms of neurological damage due to HIV Infection?
cognitive slowness, impaired attention, and forgetfulness
What other name is neurological damage due to HIV Infection referred to?
Subcortical Dementia
What are individuals with neurological damage due to HIV Infection more likely to experience?
more likely to experience depression and anxiety
What does neurological damage due to HIV Infection involve?
involves various changes in the brain such as generalized atrophy, edema, inflammation, and patches of demyelination
Substance-Use
+ use of different psychoactive
substances + poor diet
+ include memory impairment, aphasia, apraxia, agnosia, or disturbance in executive functioning
Huntington’s
+ inherited progressive disease in which memory problems, along with personality changes and mood difficulties, worsen over time
+ rare degenerative disorder of CNS
What is Huntington’s characterized by?
+ characterized by chronic, progressive chorea with subtle cognitive problems
+ Have movement problems too, such as severe twitching and spasms
What is Huntington’s caused by?
+ caused by single dominant gene (Huntingtin Gene) on Chromosome 4
+ loss of cells in the basal ganglia and cortex
What is Prion Disease caused by?
caused by prions (proteins that can reproduce and cause damage to brain cells leading to neurocognitive decline
Is there any treatment for Prion Disease?
no treatment but not contagious
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (Type of Prion Disease)
symptoms include spasms of the body caused by slow acting virus that may live in the body for years before the disease develops
