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Flashcards in Bender 1 Deck (7)
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1
Q

What is Dementia

A
  • An acquired syndrome of decline in memory and other cognitive functiosn sufficient to affect daily life in an alert patient
  • Progressive and disabling
  • NOT an inherent aspect of aging
  • different from normal cognitive lapses
2
Q

History

A

Ask both the patient and a reliable informant about thepatients

  • date of onset of current condition and nature of symptom
  • medical history
  • current medications and medication history
  • patterns of alcohol use or abuse
  • living arrangements
3
Q

Differential diagnosis of dementia

A

DEMENTIAS

  • Drugs
  • Emotional (psychiatric) disorders
  • metabolic disorders
  • endocrine problems
  • nutritional and neurologic disease
  • trauma and tumor
  • infection, ischemia, inflammation
  • anemia, arrythmia
  • social, sensory, spiritual isolation
4
Q

What are teh distinguishing signs of delirium

A
  • Delirium and demention OFTEN occur together in older hospitalized patients
  • DELIRIUM:
    • ACUTE ONSET
    • COGNITIVE FLUCTUATIONS OVER HOURS OR DAYS
    • IMPAIRED CONSCIOUSNESS AND ATTENTION
    • ALTERED SLEEP CYCLES
5
Q

DEPRESSION vs DEMENTIA

A

symptoms often overlap

DEPRESSION:

  • Impaired concentration
  • lack of motivation, loss of interest, apathy
  • psychomotor retardation
  • sleep disturbances
6
Q

Patients with primary depression are generally unlike those with dementia in that they:

A
  • Demenonstrate decrese motivation durign cognitive testing
  • express cognitive complaints that exceed measured deficits
  • maintain language and motor skills
7
Q

primary goal of tx

A

to enahnce quality of life and maximize functional performance by improving cognition, mood, and behavior