Neurocognitive Flashcards
dementia
slow onset, progressive, chronic
not better explained by different disease
how is delirium different from dementia
acute onset of reversible mental status
dementia is characterized by
significant and progressive decline in cognition involving one more more cognitive domains that affect independence in everyday activities
can’t be exclusively during delirium and not better explained by another disorder
symptoms of dementia
difficulty…
retaining new information
handling complex tasks
reasoning
spatial ability/orientation
language
behavior
behavioral disturbances
common in dementia
associated with adverse outcomes, increased disability, caregiver stress, earlier institutionalization
behavioral assessment should asses which disturbances
agitation/aggression
hallucinations
delusions/paranoia
sundowning
mCI
presence of memory difficulty and objective memory impairment BUT preserved ability to function in daily life
increased dementia risk
10 warning signs of dementia
- memory loss
- difficulty preforming everyday tasks
- problems with language
- disorientation to time and place
- poor or decreased judgement
- problems with abstract thinking
- misplacing things in unusual places
- changes in mood/behavior
- Changes in personality
- loss of initiative
dementia detection
minimental status exam
orientation, registration, language, recall
max score is 30, less than 24 Is abnormal
best if done serial
subtypes of dementia
- Alzheimer’s dz
- vascular multi infarct dementia
- dementia with Lewey bodies
- frontotemporal dementia
- Parkinson disease w/dementia
MC cause of all dementia
alzheimer
rare autosomal dominant but MAJORITY OF CASES are sporadic
histological findings of AD
extracellular amyloid plaques (senile plaques)
intraneuronal protein tau in neurofibrally tangles
AD pathophysiology
development of progressive atrophy and gloss
first to hippocampus then moves into areas of brain controlling thinking and decision making
AD risk factors
increasing age
family history
HTN, depression, insulin resistance, down’s head trauma
MC in women, African Americans
genetic disposition for AD
mutation accounts for <5% of AD but all early onset AD
when to consider AD
insidious and progressive memory loss
significant impairment in language, visuospatial dysfunction ,executive function and behavior changes
AD work up
should rule out other causes
physical exam, MME
Blood work (LFT, B12, TSH, CBC, RPR)
Imaging (non contrast CT)
staging of AD
pre clinical
no changes in judgment or impairment of daily activity
staging of AD
mild AD
pts get lost in familiar places, lose ability to handle money
increased dependence on the caregiver,
staging of AD
moderate AD
pt can’t make sense of world around and relies on caregivers
agitation, wandering, tearfulness (esp. @ night)
staging of AD
severe AD
completely unable to communicate
bed bound with loss of bowel/bladder = infection
mc cause of death in AD
infection (aspiration, PNA, UTI, skin infection)