Neurobiology and Clinical Aspects of Dementia

Question 1

what is dementia?

Answer 1

no single accepted definition
a syndrome - not a disease or group of diseases
involved cognitive impairment

Question 2

features of dementia

Answer 2

cognitive impairment
progressive
affects more than one cognitive function
affects daily living
occurs due to brain disease occurs in adults

Question 3

what is cognition?

Answer 3

memory
language
visuospatial 
executive
social 
domains break down in brain disease

Question 4

what is memory in relation to cognition?

Answer 4

recent events

facts and concepts

Question 5

what is language in relation to cognition?

Answer 5

naming, word finding
word meaning
articulation
syntax

Question 6

what is ‘visuospatial’ in relation to cognition?

Answer 6

way-finding
hand-eye coordination
arranging objects

Question 7

what is ‘executive’ in relation to cognition?

Answer 7

working memory
structured tasks
attention

Question 8

what is ‘social’ in relation to cognition?

Answer 8

disinhibition
loss of empathy
obsessions
loss of self care

Question 9

what causes dementia?

Answer 9

brain dysfunction
brain damage
neurodegeneration

Question 10

brain dysfunction leading to dementia

Answer 10

thyroid
sodium 
drugs
depression
poor sleep
pain

Question 11

brain damage leading to dementia

Answer 11

vascular disease
multiple sclerosis
alcohol misuse 
brain tumour 
HIV
B12 deficiency
hydrocephalus

Question 12

neurodegeneration leading to dementia

Answer 12

Alzheimer’s disease
Lewy body disease (closely related to Parkinson’s)
Huntington’s disease
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (prions)

Question 13

what is Alzheimer’s disease?

Answer 13

most common cause of dementia
intracellular aggregation - neurofibrillary tangles (TAU protein)
caused by amyloid plaques: trigger degenerative process

Question 14

what can affect consolidation in memory?

Answer 14

Alzheimer’s disease
alcohol
brain injury

Question 15

how can alcohol affect consolidation?

Answer 15

thiamine deficiency can cause Wernicke’s encephalopathy

Korsakoff’s psychosis

Question 16

what is Wernkicke’s encephalopathy?

Answer 16

delirium
ataxia
eye movements
easily mistaken for 'being drunk' 
brain can be severely damaged if not treated quickly

Question 17

what does Korsakoff’s syndrome involve?

Answer 17

amnesia

confabulation

Question 18

what effect can a head injury have?

Answer 18

anterograde or retrograde amnesia

Question 19

in order to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease ….

Answer 19

subject must have one of the other cognitive impairments in addition to memory

Question 20

what treatment options are there?

Answer 20

depends on cause

Question 21

causes of dementia which can be treated

Answer 21

depression
drugs 
pain
sleep
tumours

Question 22

Alzheimer’s disease treatment

Answer 22

cannot treat cause or disease

can treat aggravating factors, symptoms and complications

Question 23

cerebrovascular disease treatment

Answer 23

cannot treat the disease

can treat cause aggravating factors, symptoms and complications

Question 24

thyroid, HIV, tumour … treatment

Answer 24

can treat cause, disease, aggravating factors, symptoms and complications