Neurobiology and Clinical Aspects of Dementia Flashcards
what is dementia?
no single accepted definition
a syndrome - not a disease or group of diseases
involved cognitive impairment
features of dementia
cognitive impairment
progressive
affects more than one cognitive function
affects daily living
occurs due to brain disease occurs in adults
what is cognition?
memory language visuospatial executive social domains break down in brain disease
what is memory in relation to cognition?
recent events
facts and concepts
what is language in relation to cognition?
naming, word finding
word meaning
articulation
syntax
what is ‘visuospatial’ in relation to cognition?
way-finding
hand-eye coordination
arranging objects
what is ‘executive’ in relation to cognition?
working memory
structured tasks
attention
what is ‘social’ in relation to cognition?
disinhibition
loss of empathy
obsessions
loss of self care
what causes dementia?
brain dysfunction
brain damage
neurodegeneration
brain dysfunction leading to dementia
thyroid sodium drugs depression poor sleep pain
brain damage leading to dementia
vascular disease multiple sclerosis alcohol misuse brain tumour HIV B12 deficiency hydrocephalus
neurodegeneration leading to dementia
Alzheimer’s disease
Lewy body disease (closely related to Parkinson’s)
Huntington’s disease
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (prions)
what is Alzheimer’s disease?
most common cause of dementia
intracellular aggregation - neurofibrillary tangles (TAU protein)
caused by amyloid plaques: trigger degenerative process
what can affect consolidation in memory?
Alzheimer’s disease
alcohol
brain injury
how can alcohol affect consolidation?
thiamine deficiency can cause Wernicke’s encephalopathy
Korsakoff’s psychosis
what is Wernkicke’s encephalopathy?
delirium ataxia eye movements easily mistaken for 'being drunk' brain can be severely damaged if not treated quickly
what does Korsakoff’s syndrome involve?
amnesia
confabulation
what effect can a head injury have?
anterograde or retrograde amnesia
in order to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease ….
subject must have one of the other cognitive impairments in addition to memory
what treatment options are there?
depends on cause
causes of dementia which can be treated
depression drugs pain sleep tumours
Alzheimer’s disease treatment
cannot treat cause or disease
can treat aggravating factors, symptoms and complications
cerebrovascular disease treatment
cannot treat the disease
can treat cause aggravating factors, symptoms and complications
thyroid, HIV, tumour … treatment
can treat cause, disease, aggravating factors, symptoms and complications
