Neurocognitive Disorders Flashcards
Define delirium
Delirium is a mental state characterized by an acute disturbance of cognition, manifested by short term, confusion, excitement, disorientation, and clouded consciousness hallucinations and illusions are common
What is delirium characterized by?
A disturbance in attention and awareness, and a change recognition that develops rapidly over a short period of time
What are symptoms of delirium?
Difficulty, sustaining, and shifting attention
Very distractible repeatedly reminded to focus
Disorganized, thinking, reflected by speech that is rambling, irrelevant, pressured, and incoherent, and switches from subject to subject
Reasoning, ability and goal directed behavior are impaired
Disorientation to time and place
Impairment of recent memory
Perceptions of environment,
Illusions
False perceptions
Hallucinations
Disturbances in the sleep cycle 
What is an individuals state of awareness with delirium?
Hyper vigilance, heightened awareness of environmental stimuli
To stupor or semicoma
How was the sleep of a patient with the
Fluctuate from excessive, sleeping in, insomnia, vivid, dreams, and nightmares are common
How is psycho motor activity of a patient with delirium
Fluctuate between agitated, purposeless, movements, restless, hyperactivity, striking out at nonexistent objects
And a vegetative state resembling cat atomic scooper
Tremors are frequent
How is the emotional status of a patient with delirium?
Emotional instability may be manifested by fear, anxiety, depression, irritability, anger, euphoria, or apathy
Patient may be crying out for help. Cursing, muttering, moaning acts of self-destruction, fearful, attempt to fleet or attack on others, who are falsely viewed as threatening.
What are some physical symptoms of a patient with delirium?
Tachycardia
Sweating
Flushed face
Dilated pupils
Elevated blood pressure
How quickly do symptoms of delirium occur?
They begin abruptly, following head injury or seizure
Sometimes may proceed for several hours or days
What is the duration of deli?
Brief one week rarely more than one month
After elimination of underlying cause symptoms usually diminish over 3 to 7 day. Period.
Why is delirium associated with a high mortality rate
Because of serious precipitating medical conditions
Define neurocognitive
A term used to describe cognitive functions, closely linked to particular areas of the brain that have to do with thinking, reasoning, memory, learning, and speaking
Define dementia
A major neurocognitive disorder
A disease process in which there is a progressive decline and cognitive ability in the presence of clear consciousness
It involves many cognitive deficits, and significantly impaired social and occupational functioning
What is a mild NCD
Mild cognitive impairment and is a focus of early intervention which is critical to preventing or slowing the progression of the disorder
What is a major NCD
A disease process in which there is progressive decline and cognitive ability in the presence of clear consciousness, involves many cognitive deficits, and significantly impairs, social and occupational functioning
What is a reversible NCD occur from
Stroke
Depression
Side effects of medicines
Nutritional deficiencies
Metabolic disorders
What is a primary NCD?
Alzheimer’s disease
In which the NCD itself is a major sign of an organic brain disease, that is not directly related to any other organic illnesses
What is the secondary NCD?
 caused by or related to another disease or conditions, such as HIV, disease, or cerebral trauma
What are some symptoms of an NCD?
Impairment in abstract, thinking
Disregard of social conduct
Inappropriate behavior
Hygiene neglected
Difficulty naming objects or language
And severe forms of NCD what are some symptoms?
Aphasia
Personality change,
Apraxia (inability to carry out purposeful motor activities, despite intact, motor function and inability to use objects properly)
Irritable moody
Can’t be left alone
Risk for injury
Wandering
Incontinence
Inability to perform ADLs
What is stage one of Alzheimer’s disease?
No apparent symptoms
What happens in stage one no appearance symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease
There’s no apparent decline in memory, despite changes that are beginning to occur in the brain
What is stage two of Alzheimer’s disease?
Very mild changes
What happens in stage two very mild changes of Alzheimer’s disease
Individual begins to lose things, forget names of people
Losses in short-term memory or common
Individual aware of intellectual decline
Begins to feel ashamed, anxious depressed
Maintain organization with less and structured routine
Often not noticed by others, and do not interfere with individuals, ability to work or live independently
What is stage three of Alzheimer’s disease?
Mild cognitive decline