AD essay 1 Flashcards
Discuss critically the utility of neuropsychological assessment in distinguishing AD from normal ageing. (31 cards)
What are the main points covered in the Introduction of the source text?
- Definitions of Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), and Normal Ageing.
- The importance of early diagnosis.
- Thesis statement.
How is Dementia defined in the source?
Dementia is defined as a chronic, progressive cognitive/behavioural decline that impairs daily life.
What is Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) according to the source?
AD is the most common type of dementia and involves widespread cortical damage leading to cognitive/behavioural loss.
How is Normal Ageing described in terms of cognitive changes?
Normal Ageing involves subtle cognitive slowing but with preserved daily function.
Why is early diagnosis important?
Early diagnosis enables intervention and research.
What is the main argument (thesis) presented in the source?
The thesis is that neuropsychological assessments are key but have critical limitations and must be combined with biomarkers for maximal accuracy.
What are the early cognitive deficits seen in AD?
Episodic memory encoding problems.
What cognitive deficits are seen in later stages of AD?
Later AD involves semantic memory decline, such as problems with naming and category fluency.
List other cognitive/behavioural deficits mentioned as occurring in AD.
Other deficits include aphasia, apraxia, agnosia, visuospatial deficits, executive dysfunction, and impaired attention.
How does Normal Ageing compare to AD in terms of language and daily life?
In Normal Ageing, there is mild processing slowing, but language and daily life are preserved.
What neuropathological features are associated with AD?
The neuropathology of AD involves Amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles.
Which brain areas show key atrophy in AD?
Key atrophy occurs in the Hippocampus, posterior cingulate, and parietal cortex.
What is the utility of screening tools like MMSE and MoCA?
MMSE and MoCA are screening tools that detect global cognitive decline.
What do MMSE scores correlate with?
MMSE scores correlate with Braak tau stages.
Give an example of a domain-specific strength of neuropsychological assessment for early AD detection.
Semantic fluency tests, such as naming animals, are effective for early AD detection.
Which type of task is sensitive to preclinical AD?
Visual short-term memory binding tasks are sensitive to preclinical AD.
What is a strength of using domain-specific tasks when distinguishing AD from normal ageing?
Domain-specific tasks are effective at distinguishing AD versus normal ageing patterns when focused on specific domains.
What is a limitation of neuropsychological assessment alone regarding early symptoms?
Early symptom overlap makes subtle changes hard to separate from age-related slowing.
How does Cognitive Reserve present a limitation for standard neuropsychological tests in early AD?
Higher cognitive reserve can mask symptoms despite underlying pathology, meaning standard tests may miss early cases.
How can high cognitive reserve influence the decline after an AD diagnosis?
After diagnosis, those with high reserve may decline faster.
What challenge does the faster decline in individuals with high cognitive reserve pose?
This poses a challenge for interpretation of assessment results after diagnosis.
Why are biomarkers needed in addition to cognitive testing?
Cognitive testing alone is often insufficient, especially early on.
Give examples of imaging biomarkers mentioned.
Imaging biomarkers include MRI for hippocampal atrophy and FDG-PET for hypometabolism in posterior parietal/temporal regions.
Give examples of fluid biomarkers from CSF mentioned.
CSF biomarkers include decreased Aβ42, increased Total Tau, and increased Phospho-Tau.
