Old age psychiatry Flashcards
What is the ABCD of dementia?
ADLs
Behavioural/psych symptoms
Cognitive impairment
Decline
What are some cognitive features of dementia?
Dysphasia
Dyspraxia
Dysgnosia
Dysexecutive functioning
What is dyspraxia?
Inability to carry out motor skills
What is dysgnosia?
Not recognising objects
Do you have to notify DVLA of dementia diagnosis?
Yes
What are some good imaging techniques for dementia?
CT
CT/SPECT
DAT
Which differentials do you need to exclude when investigating dementia?
Delirium
Depression
What is the most common dementia?
Alzheimer’s
Then vascular, mixed and lewy body
How does Alzheimer’s dementia present?
Early impairment Gradual progression Amyloid plaques Atrophy following neuron death Reduction in acetylcholine
How does vascular dementia present?
Unequal distribution of deficits
Evidence of cerebral disease
Stepwise decline with sudden changes
Which dementia is associated with increased movement and some hallucinations?
Lewy body
What are some key features of Lewy Body dementia?
Visual hallucinations
Fluctuations
Parkinsonism
Increased falls
How would Lewy Body dementia look on SPECT or PET?
Reduced dopamine uptake
Is LBD sensitive to antipsychotics?
Yes
What are some key features of Frontotemporal Dementia/Pick’s disease?
Personality change
Emotional blunting
Behavioural change
