Clinical Approach to Dementia Flashcards
(9 cards)
1
Q
How is dementia defined by the DSM?
A
A decline in memory and at least one other cognitive function (aphasia, apraxia, agnosia, or a decline in an executive function, such as planning, organizing, sequencing, or abstracting)
2
Q
How can we definitively diagnose neurodegenerative diseases?
A
autopsy
3
Q
What is the most common cause of dementia?
A
Alzheimer’s Disease
4
Q
What are some infectious causes of dementia?
A
- fungal meningitis
- syphilis
- AIDS dementia
- Cruetzfeldt-Jakob disease
- Post-herpes simplex encephalitis
5
Q
What are some toxic/metabolic causes of dementia?
A
- Vitamin B12 deficiency
- Thyroid deficiency
- System failure
- Heavy metals
- Toxins (sniffin glue)
6
Q
What are the criteria for the clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease?
A
- Dementia established by means of clinical examination and documented with the MMR
- Deficits in 2 or more areas of cognition
- Progressive worsening of memory and another cognitive function
7
Q
What is the main goal of Alzehiemer treatment?
A
Slow the progression of disease
8
Q
Which drugs are used for treating Alzheimer’s disease?
A
- Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors: donepizil, rivastigmine, galantamine
- NMDA receptor antagonist: memantine
- Consider B complex, lipid-lowering agent, aspirin
9
Q
What are the tetrad of symptoms seen in Diffuse Lewy Body Dementia?
A
- dementia
- Parkinsonian symptoms
- prominent psychotic symptoms
- ***extreme sensitivity to antipsychotic agents
