Dementia Flashcards
(29 cards)
what do older people value
company and relationships
time
desire to contribute to society
someone listening
what is dementia
acquired progressive loss of cognitive functions, intellectual and social abilities severe enough to interfere with daily functioning
what does dementia affect
memory
thinking
orientation
comprehension
calculation
learning capacity
language
judgement
what is dementia characterised by
amnesia
inability to concentrate
disorientation in time, place or person
intellectual impairment
what would people with dementia have problems with
day to day memory
concentrating, planning or organising
language
visuospatial skills
orientation
what else is deterioration in cognitive function accompanied by
emotional control
social behaviour
motivation
what is alzheimers
reduction size of cortex (severe in hippocampus)
what are plaques
deposits of a protein fragment called beta-amyloid that build up in spaces between nerve cells
what are tangles
twisted fibres of tau protein build up inside cells
what are the distinctive features of alzheimers
SMTL, aphasia, communication difficulties, muddled over everyday activities, mood swings, withdrawn, loss of confidence
what factors are associated with alzheimers
age
women
head injury
lifestyle - smoking, hypertension, low folate and high blood cholesterol
abnormalities on chromosome 1, 14, 21
what is vascular dementia
reduced blood flow to brain which damages and eventually kills brain cells
why would vascular dementia occur
narrowing and blockage of small blood vessels
large stroke
lots of mini strokes
high BP and diabetes
what are the distinctive features of vascular dementia
memory problem of sudden onset, visuospatial difficulties, anxiety, delusions, seizures
what is dementia with lewy bodies
deposits of an abnormal protein called lewy bodies inside brain cells
what are distinctive features of dementia with lewy bodies
STML
cognitive ability fluctuates
visuospatial difficulties
attentional difficulties
speech and swallowing problems
sleep disorders
what is frontotemporal dementia
changes in personality and behaviour and difficulties with language in a younger age
what are the risk factors for dementia
age
gender
genetic background
medical history
lifestyle
what are the early stage symptoms of dementia
loss of short term memory
confusion
anxiety
inability to manage everyday tasks
communication problems
what are the middle stage symptoms of dementia
support required
forgetful
distress, aggression
risk of wandering
inappropriate behaviour
hallucinations
what are the late stage symptoms of dementia
cannot recognise familiar objects
increasingly frail
difficulty eating
incontinence and gradual loss of speech
symptoms are progressive and irreversible
what is used to diagnose and monitor progression of dementia
dementia screen - FBC, UandE, kidney, liver, thyroid function
glucose, serum B12, folate and calcium, C - reactive protein and urinalysis
neurological exam and cognitive testing
what cognitive tests are used for dementia
mini-mental state exam
blessed dementia scale
montreal cognitive assessment
clock draw, delayed word recall
7min screen
what treatment is used for dementia
no cure
counselling
aspirin - vascular dementia
NSAIDs - slow progression
vitE - slow progression
