The Ageing Brain And Risk Of Dementia

Question 1

What is Dementia?

Answer 1

Dementia is an umbrella term for loss of memory and other thinking abilities severe enough to interfere with daily life.

Question 2

What should be assessed regarding the onset of symptoms in diagnosing Alzheimer’s Disease?

Answer 2

How and when symptoms started - do they affect daily living

Question 3

What pre-existing factors should be considered in a patient’s history?

Answer 3

Pre-existing conditions

Question 4

What should be noted about a patient’s current health regimen?

Answer 4

Medicine or supplements being taken

Question 5

What types of tests are used for mental ability or cognitive assessment?

Answer 5

Short- and long-term memory, concentration and attention span, language and communication skills, awareness of time and place (orientation)

Question 6

What are the advantages of the Mini Mental State Examination?

Answer 6

Relatively quick and easy to perform.
Requires no additional equipment.
Can provide a method of monitoring deterioration over time.

Question 7

What are the disadvantages of the Mini Mental State Examination?

Answer 7

Biased against people with poor education due to elements of language and mathematical testing.
Bias against visually impaired individuals.
Limited examination of visuospatial cognitive skills.
Poor sensitivity at detecting mild to moderate impairment.

Question 8

What does CN stand for?

Answer 8

CN stands for Cognitive Neuroscience.

Question 9

What does aMCI stand for?

Answer 9

aMCI stands for Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Question 10

What does AD stand for?

Answer 10

AD stands for Alzheimer’s Disease.

Question 11

What are blood tests used for in diagnosing Alzheimer’s Disease?

Answer 11

Blood tests check for liver and kidney function, haemoglobin A1c (Diabetes), and vitamin (B12) and mineral (folate) levels.

Question 12

What is an MRI used for in diagnosing dementia?

Answer 12

An MRI is used to detect shrinkage of specific brain regions, such as the frontal and temporal lobes.

Question 13

What is a CT scan used for in diagnosing dementia?

Answer 13

A CT scan is used to check for tumors or strokes but is not used for structural information.

Question 14

What are non-modifiable protective factors for Alzheimer’s disease?

Answer 14

Genetics (ie. APOEt2)

Question 15

What are modifiable protective factors for Alzheimer’s disease?

Answer 15

Education attainment, Mediterranean diet, Moderate alcohol intake, Physical exercise, Intellectual and social activities

Question 16

What are non-modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease?

Answer 16

Aging, Genetics (I.e. APOcA)

Question 17

What are modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease?

Answer 17

Vascular risk factors: Hypertension, Diabetes mellitus, Obesity, Hypercholesterolemia, Smoking

Question 18

What is Familial Alzheimer’s Disease?

Answer 18

A hereditary form of Alzheimer’s disease characterized by early onset and aggressive pathogenesis.

Question 19

What is the age of onset for Early-onset Familial Alzheimer’s Disease?

Answer 19

Early-onset can occur from the age of 35 years old.

Question 20

What type of inheritance pattern does Familial Alzheimer’s Disease follow?

Answer 20

It follows an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern.

Question 21

Which mutations are associated with Familial Alzheimer’s Disease?

Answer 21

Mutations in PSEN1, PSEN2, and APP are associated with the disease.

Question 22

How does Familial Alzheimer’s Disease differ from genetic risk factors?

Answer 22

Familial Alzheimer’s Disease is not the same as a genetic risk factor.

Question 23

Why don’t all exercise interventions work for people with Alzheimer’s disease?

Answer 23

There are several factors that can affect the effectiveness of exercise interventions for people with Alzheimer’s disease.

These factors include poorly designed trials, intervention timing, outcome measures, and the mode/intensity of exercise (adherence).

Question 24

What are some factors that can affect exercise interventions for Alzheimer’s?

Answer 24

Factors include poorly designed trials, intervention timing, outcome measures, and mode/intensity of exercise (adherence).

Question 25

What is a common issue with exercise trials for Alzheimer’s?

Answer 25

Poorly designed trials can lead to ineffective exercise interventions.

Question 26

How does intervention timing affect exercise interventions?

Answer 26

The timing of the intervention can influence its effectiveness.

Question 27

What role do outcome measures play in exercise interventions?

Answer 27

Outcome measures are critical for assessing the effectiveness of the intervention.

Question 28

Why is mode/intensity of exercise important?

Answer 28

The mode and intensity of exercise can impact adherence and overall effectiveness.