Neurocognitive Disorders

Question 1

what is dementia? how does it clinically show?

Answer 1

most severe expression of neurocognitive impairment

• evidence of memory and cognitive ability decline (present for minimum 6m)
• decreased awareness of environment
• decreased control over emotions and changed social behaviour

Question 2

which are the main syndromes in dementia?

Answer 2

• delirium
• major cognitive disorder (significant cognitive decline, decr. function and performance, needs assistance)
• minor cognitive disorder (minor cognitive decline, mild decr. of function and performance, assistance is not mandatory)

decline of performance in: complex attention, executive ability, learning and memory, language, social cognition

Question 3

etiology of neurocognitive disorders

Answer 3

alzheimer disease (most common cause)
vascular cognitive impairment (2. most common cause)
alpha synucleinopathies
fronto-temporal lobar degeneration

Question 4

risk factors for alzheimer disease

Answer 4

genetics
age
vascular (HTN, obesity, high cholesterol)
BMI
depression

Question 5

treatment for the impaired cholinergic system in alzheimer

Answer 5

rivastigmine, galantamine

Question 6

which are the preclinical stages in alzheimer?

Answer 6

• asymptomatic amyloidosis
• amyloidosis and neurodegeneration
• amyloidosis and neurodegeneration and cognitive decline

Question 7

which are the subtypes of vascular dementia?

Answer 7

multiinfarct
unique strategic infarct
subcortical vasc. dementia
post hemorrhagic stroke
mixed vascular lesions

Question 8

classification of fronto-temporal dementia

Answer 8

frontal variant (behavioral)
semantic dementia
primary progressive non fluent aphasia

Question 9

clincial criteria of mild cognitive impairment

Answer 9

• changes cognition, compared to earlier perfomance
• impairment in 1 or more cognitive domains, which is further advanced than the expected patients age and educational background (memory, executive function, attention, language)
• mild problems in performing tasks, they used to be able to do

Question 10

microscopic hallmark of alzheimers?

Answer 10

senile plaques: extracellular and amyloid beta peptidase