Neurocognitive Disorders Flashcards
Examples of normal aging behaviors (6)
- Inappropriate self disclosure
- Memory complaints; slower retrieval
- Mild hypochondrial concerns
- Overinclusive thinking (i.e. “back in my day”)
- Hyper-vigilance (i.e. “get off my lawn!”)
- Fear of victimization
Examples of abnormal behaviors as people age (9)
- Disinhibition (walking around naked)
- Affective lability (I need to do this….what was I doing…what’s this)
- Disorientation
- Problems with new learning
- Excessive dependency
- Fear of being alone
- Anxiety or panic
- Prompts and clues don’t help memory
- Social isolation (hermit)
Differences between delirium and neurocognitive disorders
- DELIRIUM vs. NCDs
- Acute or sub-acute vs. sub-acute or chronic
- Disturbance is cognition and/or perception vs. memory + one other cognitive function
- Disturbances in sensorium / level of arousal vs. intact sensorium (nomral arousal)
- Waxes and wanes vs. stable over time
- Caused by direct physiological consequence of a general medical condition or substance vs. have many causes
Similarities between delirium and neurocognitive disorders (5)
They both have:
- Decline in previous functioning
- Confusion
- Multiple cognitive domains impaired
- Accompanied by Behavior changes
- Psychosis may be present (i.e. delusions and hallucinations)
Delirium: treatment (8)
- Safet: patient and staff
- Quiet restful setting
- Orienting devices in the patient’s room (clocks, familiar objects)
- Optimize sensory input (glassses, hearing aids)
- Remote offending agents
- Treat underlying morbidity
- Avoid benzodiazepines hypnotics for sedation (unless related to EtOH withdrawal)
- Avoid restraints
Why should restraints be avoided when treating delirium?
They remove the perception of safety in restfulness and add potential issues such as injuries, skin breakdown and psychological issues
Define delirium according to the DSM-5 criteria (4)
- encephalapathy (defined as any diffuse disease of the brain that alters function or structure)
- Disturbance of attention and awareness
- Change of cognition
- Disturbance develops over short period of time & fluctuates over the course of the day
COVID-19 delirium: most commonly affected group & contributing factors
- elderly (70%)
- isolated from family & sedative/pain medication use
COVID-19 delirium symptoms (4)
- Confusion
- Change in consciousness
- Hallucination
- Anxiety
(increases risk of dying and dementia)
COVID-19 delirium treatment (4)
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Speech therapy
- Cognitive Rehabilitation
Risk factors for delirium associated with anesthesia and surgery (4)
- Age
- Compromised cognitive skills
- Procedure characteristics: invasiveness, duration, urgency
- Postoperative admissions to ICU
Alternatives to using restraints when treating a patient with delirium (5).
- Sitters (professional, family, friends)
- Frequent reassurance and reorientation
- Clear communication with one step commands
- Adequate lighting
- Limit noise
What term is preferred over dementia? Why?
- Major neurocognitive disorder
- Dementia refers to diseases occurring in older populations (i.e. Alzheimer, Lewy Body Dementia)
- Major neurocognitive disorder includes a broad range of possible etiologies (more inclusive)
What is to be included in the neurocognitive disorder history and exam (5)?
- Age at onset
- Pattern of progression (slow or stepwise)
- Cognitive changes
- Behavioral changes
- Motor symptoms: gait, fall, tremor (including tongue), slowness
Lab evaluation for reversible causes of neurocognitive disorder (7).
- B12, folate
- T3, T4, TSH
- Vit D
- RPR, HIV
- UA
- CT or MRI
- Sleep Study (sleep apnea)
How do you screen for neurocognitive disorder (4)?
- Substantial decline from Baseline functioning
- Patient alert and cooperative (rules out delirium)
- Symptoms not explained by another psychiatric condition like Major Depressvie Disorder
- Functional impairment
Difference between Major NCD characteristics & Mild NCD characteristics (3)
MAJOR
- Significant cognitive decline
- Substantial impairment in cognitive performance (neuropsych testing)
- Cognitive deficits interfere with Independence & ADLs
(mild is modest/mild changes in cog. decline/impairment and no interference w/ADLs & independence
6 Cognitive domains
- Complex attention
- Learning and memory
- Language
- Executive functioning
- Perceptual/motor function
- Social cognition
How do you assess the attention (cognitive domain)?
- Digit span (memorize a set of 7 numbers)
- serial 7’s
Types of attention (cognitive domain) (5)
- Alertness
- Vigilance
- Sustained attention
- Selective attention
- Divided attention
(sustained, selective & divided are complex attention)
Sustained attention definition and how to test it
- Maintain detention overtime
- Pressing a button when a tone is heard
Selective attention definition and how to test it
- Maintenance despite competing stimuli
- Hearing numbers and letters and asked to only repeat the letters
Divided attention definition and how to test it
- Do two tasks simultaneously
- Tapping finger while learning a story being read
Major NCD signs in attention deficits (3)
- Easily distracted
- Difficulty holding new information
- Unable to perform mental calculations
Mild NCD signs in attention deficits (3)
- Mental tasks take longer
- Work needs more double-checking
- Tasks easier without distractions
The cognitive domains of learning and memory (5)
- Immediate memory
- Recent memory
- Declarative/explicit memory
- Procedural memory
- Working memory