Psychopathology Neurocognitive Disorders Flashcards
Major and Mild Neurocognitive Disorder:
The core feature of major and mild neurocognitive disorder (NCD) is cognitive dysfunction that’s acquired rather than developmental.
Major neurocognitive disorder was referred to:
Major neurocognitive disorder was referred to as dementia in the previous version of the DSM and is diagnosed when there’s a significant decline from a previous level of functioning in one or more cognitive domains (e.g., executive functioning, learning and memory, social cognition) that does not occur only in the context of delirium and that interferes with the person’s independence in everyday activities.
Mild neurocognitive disorder was categorized as:
Mild neurocognitive disorder was categorized as cognitive disorder not otherwise specified in the previous version of the DSM and is diagnosed when there’s a modest decline from a previous level of functioning in one or more cognitive domains that does not occur only in the context of delirium and that does not interfere with the person’s independence in everyday activities but may require greater effort or the use of compensatory strategies.
Delirium:
The diagnosis of delirium requires (a) a disturbance in attention and awareness that develops over a short period of time (often hours to a few days), represents a change from baseline attention and awareness, and tends to fluctuate in severity over the course of the day plus (b) at least one additional disturbance in cognition (e.g., a memory or language impairment). Symptoms must not be better explained by another pre-existing or evolving neurocognitive disorder and must not occur in the context of a severely reduced level of arousal (e.g., a coma). There must also be evidence that symptoms are the direct physiological consequence of a medical condition, substance intoxication or withdrawal, and/or exposure to a toxin.
Causes of delirium include
Causes of delirium include a high fever, nutritional deficiency, electrolyte disturbance, renal or hepatic failure, head injury, and certain drugs and medications (e.g., alcohol, lithium, sedatives, anticholinergic drugs), and it’s most common in hospitalized older adults. Treatment involves addressing causal and contributing medical problems and reducing disorientation through environmental manipulation by, for example, providing sufficient lighting, reducing noise, and minimizing the number of visitors. In addition, haloperidol or other antipsychotic drug may help reduce agitation and psychotic symptoms.
Neurocognitive Disorder Due to Alzheimer’s Disease:
This disorder accounts for about 60 to 80% of all cases of NCD (Jalbert, Daiello, & Lapane, 2008). It’s diagnosed when the person’s symptoms (a) meet the criteria for mild or major NCD, (b) have an insidious onset and gradual progression of impairment in one or more cognitive domains that does not interfere with daily activities for mild NCD and two or more cognitive domains that interfere with daily activities for major NCD, (c) meet the criteria for the probable or possible form of the disorder, and (d) are not better explained by another disorder.
For major Neurocognitive Disorder (NCD), the diagnosis of probable Alzheimer’s Disease requires
For major NCD, the diagnosis of probable Alzheimer’s disease requires evidence of a causative genetic mutation from genetic testing or family history and/or evidence of a decline in memory and learning and at least one other cognitive domain, a steadily progressive and gradual decline in cognition, and no evidence of a mixed etiology. When these criteria are not met, the diagnosis of possible Alzheimer’s disease is assigned.
For mild Neurocognitive Disorder (NCD) the diagnosis of probable Alzheimer’s Disease requires
For mild NCD, the diagnosis of probable Alzheimer’s disease requires evidence of a causative genetic mutation from genetic testing or family history, while the diagnosis of possible Alzheimer’s disease is assigned when there’s no evidence of a causative genetic mutation but there’s evidence of a decline in memory and learning, a steadily progressive and gradual decline in cognition, and no evidence of a mixed etiology.
Prevalence and incidence rates for Alzheimer’s disease are
Prevalence and incidence rates for Alzheimer’s disease are affected by gender and race/ethnicity (Alzheimer’s Association, 2022): In the United States, the prevalence rate of Alzheimer’s disease is greater for women than for men. In other words, a larger proportion (percent) of women than men have this disorder, with recent data indicating that 12% of women and 9% of men over 65 have Alzheimer’s disease. Some experts suggest, however, that this gender difference is due to the fact that women (including those with Alzheimer’s disease) live longer than men do. In contrast, studies have not consistently found gender differences in the incidence of (risk for developing) this disorder at any specific age in the United States. In other words, older men and women of the same age have a similar risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease. With regard to race/ethnicity, among adults ages 65 and older, Black Americans have both the highest prevalence and incidence rates followed by, in order, Hispanic and White Americans.
