Old Age Psychiatry Flashcards
Which mental health disorders are much more common in hospital than in the community?
Depression
Dementia
Delirium
Anxiety
Is dementia more prevalent in males or females?
Females
Does prevalence of dementia increase gradually with age?
Yes
Which age group has the highest prevalence of dementia?
95-99
In a general regional hospital, what is the percentage of beds occupied by elderly people?
66%
In what way can mental health disorders such as depression, delirium and dementia affect the length of a patients hospital stay?
Increased
How are survival rates affected if a patient has a mental health disorder such as a depresison, delirium or dementia?
Patients with delirium and dementia have the most reduced rate of survival
What is the ABCD of dementia?
A - Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s)
B - Behavioural and Psychiatric symptoms of dementia
C - Cognitive Impairment
D - Decline
What other information must be gathered when doing an assessment of a dementia patient?
1 - Collateral history
2 - Flexible cognitive testing
What are the cognitive features of dementia?
1) Memory impairment (dysmnesia) plus 1 or more of the following:
- Dysphasia (receptive or expressive)
- Dyspraxia (cannot carry out motor skills)
- Dysgnosia (not recognising objects)
- Dysexecutive function
2) Functional decline (cannot perform ADL’s)
How does MMSE score correlate with ability to perform ADL’s?
The higher the MMSE score means the patient can perform more complex ADL’s:
- MMSE < 15 means the patient may struggle with keeping appointments, using the phone
Lower MMSE scores (< 15) are correlated with greater difficulties in performing basic ADL’s
What are the signs of neuropsychiatric disturbance associated with dementia?
1 - Psychosis
2 - Depression
3 - Anxiety
4 - Agitation
5 - Altered circadian rhythms
How is Alzheimers disease diagnosed?
1) Case-finding (symptoms suggesting cognitive impairment)
IF YES, THEN MOVE ON TO 2)
2) Clinical assessment (History and collateral history, MSE, Physical exam and bloods, cognitive assessment)
IF FUNCTIONAL DECLINE AND COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT DETECTED, THEN MOVE ON TO 3)
3) Exclude differential diagnosis (exclude delirium, depression)
IF ALZHEIMERS DISEASE DIAGNOSED, MOVE ONTO 4)
4) Specialist referral:
- Confirm diagnosis (brain scanning, neuropsychology)
- Management and symptomatic treatment
What psychiatric disorder is dementia often mistaken for?
Delirium
What are the key differences that differentiate dementia from delirium?
Onset:
Dementia = insidious, gradual
Delirium = Abrupt, precise
Progression:
Dementia = Gradual, progressive and non-reversible
Delirium = Rapid and usually reversible
Disorientation:
Dementia = Late in illness
Delirium = Early in illness
Physiological changes:
Dementia = Less prominent
Delirium = Prominent