Dementia Flashcards
(36 cards)
Dementia is defined as…
A clinical syndrome characterized by progressive cognitive decline, interfering with individual’s ability to function independently
Cognition encompasses…
All of the mental processes involved in learning, remembering, and using knowledge
DSM details 6 cognitive domains:
Complex, executive, learning + memory, language, perceptual-motor, social
Mild cognitive impairment refers to…
Modest decline in cognition from previous baseline - does NOT interfere with the ability to function independently
May be subjective, or observable on cognitive testing
Can mild cognitive impairment progress to dementia?
May or may not progress - 30% stabilize, 30% progress to dementia, 30% revert to baseline
The link between dementia and delirium is that individuals…
Risk?
Individuals with dementia are particularly vulnerable to developing delirium - and individuals that have experienced delirium are at greater risk of developing dementia
Potentially reverisble contributors to cognitive impairment need to be ruled out before an individual is diagnosed with dementia. This includes…
D-E-M-E-N-T-I-A mnemonic
Drugs
Emotional
Metabolic
Eyes + ears declining
Nutritional
Tumour/other space-occupying lesion
Infection
Anemia
The most common form of dementia is…
Alzheimer’s Disease
Progression of alzheimer’s is…
Slow + progressive: starts with difficulty in short-term memory and gradually impacts all areas of functioning
Alzheimer’s is associated with characteristic…
Beta-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles
Etiology of alzheimer’s is ____ and is likely…
Unknown - likely a mix of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors
Risk factors for developing Alzheimer’s includes…
Aging
Family hx/genetics
Hx of severe head trauma
Mild cognitive impairment
Lifestyle factors
Protective factors against developing Alzheimer’s includes…
Educational attainment
Social engagement
Lifelong learning
Vascular dementia results from…
Interrupted blood flow in parts of the brain
Vascular damage usually visible on MRI, CT, + CV risk factors
CV risk factors for vascular dementia include…
HTN, dyslipidemia, smoking, diabetes, CVD
Symptoms associated with vascular dementia depend on…
The part of the brain that is affected
Compared to Alzheimer’s, these cognitive factors are more common early on in vascular dementia…
What about factors that are more preserved?
Complex thinking + planning
Personality changes
Agitation, moodiness
But insights into deficits may be more preserved compared to Alzheimer’s
Onset of vascular dementia may be…
Abrupt OR gradual (with periods of relative stability and rapid decline)
Frontotemporal dementia has a strong ____, and onset is…
Genetic component - earlier onset (40-50 y.o) and no increased prevalence with age
Damage with frontotemporal dementia is initially limited to…
Name
The frontal and temporal lobes
Symptoms of frontotemporal dementia usually start with…
Changes in speech, language (unusual, choppy, repetitive), and personality (poor judgement, disinhibited behaviour) before memory changes.
Overtime, progresses to global impairment
Parkinson’s dementia is classified as…
Dementia that develops AFTER a clinical diagnosis of parkinson’s disease
Motor sx’s THEN cognitive sx’s
Parkinson’s dementia usually involves disruption in ____ rather than memory processes.
Planning + organizing
Issue with Parkinson’s treatments and dementia is that…
What kinds of treatments do we use for Parkinson’s??
Dopaminergic treatments for PD may exacerbate behavioural + psychological symptoms of dementia
Lewy body dementia is classified as…
Abnormal deposits of alpha-synuclein protein in neurons - cognitive impairment + visual hallucinations manifest FIRST or CONCURRENTLY with PD motor symptoms
“Parkinson disease in reverse”
