Neurocognitive disorders- exam 4 Flashcards
what does delirium mean
- acute, short term, rapid onset
- disturbance of consciousness: memory, disorientation, perception, attention & awareness (cant focus, sustain, or shift attention)
- obviously due to a general medical condition or substance induced (medication, drug, or toxin)
does the word ‘acute’ apply to neurocognitive disorders
no, they are long term and chronic
how is delirium different from dementia
dementia is a neurocognitive disorder. people with dementia can have delirium but not everyone with delirium has dementia
what is sundown syndrome
symptoms of dementia/neurocognitive disorder worsen at night
what is ICU psychosis
patients in the ICU who develop delirium as a result of sensory isolation
what is cognitive functioning in normal aging
The normal aging process is associated with declines in certain cognitive abilities, such as processing speed and certain memory, language, visuospatial, and executive function abilities
what is crystalized intelligence vs. fluid intelligence
Fluid intelligence is your ability to process new information, learn, and solve problems. Crystallized intelligence is your stored knowledge, accumulated over the years. The two types work together and are equally important.
how is recall different from recognition
Recognition refers to our ability to “recognize” an event or piece of information as being familiar, while recall designates the retrieval of related details from memory
is recall or recognition more difficult in old age
recall
what happens to processing speed and attention as one ages
A hallmark of cognitive aging is slowed processing speed, or a decrease in the rate at which people perform perceptual, motor, and decision making tasks.
what is dementia; what are the primary signs and symptoms/DSM-5 criteria
multiple cognitive defects including:
- impairment in memory (multiple etiologies)
- function is impaired (interferes with indepence in daily activities)
- concern of a ‘knowledgeable informant’ or the individual of significant decline
- evidence of decline documented by neuropsychological testing or by another clinical professional
- evidence of ‘causative mutation’ from family or genetic testing
what are the multiple etiologies/several causes of nuerocognitive disorders/dementia
- alzheimers
- vascular
- lewy body
- prion disease
- fronto-temporal
- parkinsons
- huntingtons
- HIV
- TBI
- substance/medication induced
what is alzheimers, who first described it, and when
described by German neurologist Alois Alzheiemr in 1906
- progressive loss of brain tissue
- a leading cause of death in those over age 65 in US
what is agnosia
inability to interpret sensations and hence to recognize things
what is apraxia
difficulut preforming skilled movements (like walking)
what is aphasia
loss of speech and communication skills
what/who is a knowledgeable informant
a family member/friend/caretaker who is worried about the patient and/or able to provide information about their cognitive decline
how are neurocognitive disorders diagnosed in a doctors office
family histoyr, rule out other disoders that could be causing symptoms, brief exam of cognitive function
what are the genetics for familial alzheimers (4 different chromosomes)
Chromosome 21:
- formation of beta-amdyloid precursor protein
- single amino acid substitution
- 50 different mutations
Chromosome 1 and 14:
- 75% of early onset cases- presenilin 1 and 2; affects breakdown of amyloid
- (presenilin: part of gamma-secretase; a transmembrane enzyme that processes/cuts proteins into soluble products)
Chromosome 19 (ApoE-4 allele)
- overproduction of beta-amyloid
brain pathology involves what + what
what are tau protiens
what are neurofibrillary tangles and beta-amyloid plaques? where are they found? what is beta and gamma secretase
what are detrimental and protective factors
what are some acetylcholinesterase inhibitors
treatment of alzheimers
- cognex (tacrine)
- aricept (donepezil)
- reminyl, razadyne (galantamine)
- excelon (rivastigmine)
what are some glutamate reulators
alzheimers treatment
- namenda (mentamine)
what are some antidepressants
also used in treatment of alzheimers; SSRIs, etc.
what are some anti-infalmmatories (how long before symptoms do you have to be on these)
what are other treatments such as lifestyle changes involving care and oversight for neurocognitive disorders
using external memory aids and providing engaging in pleasant activities and exercise
what is vascular dementia and how is its progression different from alzheimers?
vasucalr dementia is caused by impaired blood flow to the brain (stroke, blood clot, etc.)
alzheimers worsens with time where as the symptoms caused by vascular dementia stay the same
