Dementia Flashcards
(72 cards)
______ term memory is more affected than _____ term memory
short term more affected than long term
What part of the brain handles short-term memory? What are the changes w/ age?
- prefrontal cortex
- stable, but may require more effort to encode before decay
What type of memory stays the longest w/ Alzheimer’s?
Procedural memory - stuff you do subconsciously
- implicit
What type of memory is most affected by Alzheimer’s? Why?
Explicit (declarative) episodic - autobiographical of events, contextual knowledge, and associated emotions
- occurs in hippocampus which is diminished in Alzheimer’s
Delirium vs Dementia onset
Delirium - temporary and has rapid onset
Dementia - slow progression and gradually
Delirium vs Dementia duration
Delirium - duration is only as long as the cause of the issue
Dementia - chronic, progressive continuation
Delirium vs Dementia attention
both have issues with attention but cleared up after delirium ends and does not with dementia
Delirium vs Dementia consciousness
Delirium - has issues w/consciousness
Dementia - there is no issue until the end
Delirium vs Dementia speech
Delirium - gargled speech, hallucinations
Dementia - continuum depending on the stage of dementia
- early on anomia - difficulty w/ word finding
What is also common alongside of Alzheimer’s disease?
depression - hard for the patient to verbalize sadness and other feelings of depression
What is pseudodementia? What helps patient with this?
apparent intellectual decline that stems from lack of energy or effort
- responds well to depression treatment
Difference between pseudodementia from dementia
- more rapid decline in mental function
- usually not disoriented
- difficulty w/ concentrating but less difficulty w/ short term memory
- writing, speaking, and motor skills usually not affected
- more likely to comment on memory problems
T/F: Writing, speaking, and motor skills are usually not affected w/ pseudodementia
true - they are affected w/ dementia
Depression more common in _____ to ______ stages of dementia
early to moderate
Increased severity of dementia = ________ prevalence of major depression
decreased
Amnestic vs nonamnestic cognitive impairment
Amnestic - memory is impaired but other cognitive functions are spared (prestage of dementia)
Nonamnestic - memory remains intact, but 1 or more other cognitive abilities are significantly impaired
What level of cognitive impairment does the following pt have: pt feels like their memory is slipping but testing is normal
Subjective cognitive impairment (SCI)
What level of cognitive impairment does the following pt have: testing/outcome measure shows change but not severe enough for dementia
Mild cognitive impairment
What level of cognitive impairment does the following pt have: can take care of themselves for the most part - need spouse w/ them or may live in assisted living
Mild dementia
Difference between mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia
MCI pt can still take care of themselves at home and mild dementia needs some assistance/supervision w/ ADLs
What level of cognitive impairment does the following pt have: need help w/ ADLs and lots of word finding issues
moderate dementia
What level of cognitive impairment does the following pt have: wheelchair/bed bound, may be non-verbal and need full time care
severe dementia
What is vascular dementia caused by?
Caused from stroke, atherosclerosis, diabetes, HTN, smoking – anything that inhibits blood flow to the brain
Vascular dementia key features
- abrupt most often
- memory loss usually less severe than Alzheimer’s
- mood changes and apathy common
