Dementia

Question 1

In relation to dementia, what is meant by cognitive reserve?

Answer 1

The resilience or plasticity of cognitive networks in the face of disruption

Question 2

What are the 4 most common types of dementia?

Answer 2

Alzheimer’s disease
Vascular dementia
Dementia with Lewy Bodies
Frontotemporal dementia

Question 3

Which type of dementia is associated with Parkinsonism?

Answer 3

Dementia with Lewy Bodies

Question 4

Which type of memory is typically affected first in Alzheimer’s disease?

Answer 4

Episodic memory

Question 5

In Alzheimer’s disease, episodic memory loss is linked to lesions in which 3 areas?

Answer 5

Medial temporal lobe
Enterohinal cortex
Hippocampus

Question 6

In Alzheimer’s disease, visuospatial problems are linked to lesions in which area?

Answer 6

Temporoparietal association areas

Question 7

In Alzheimer’s disease, difficulties with problem solving and executive function are linked to lesions in which area?

Answer 7

Prefrontal areas

Question 8

In Alzheimer’s disease, what happens to the ventricles?

Answer 8

Ventricular dilation - in response to shrinking of the brain

Question 9

In Alzheimer’s disease, there is profound neuronal loss in which nucleus?

Answer 9

Nucleus basalis of Meynert

Question 10

In Alzheimer’s disease, there is a reduction in which neurotransmitter?

Answer 10

Acetylcholine

Question 11

What are the 2 pathophysiological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease?

Answer 11

Amyloid plaques

Neurofibrillary tangles

Question 12

In Alzheimer’s disease, what are neurofibrillary tangles caused by / made from?

Answer 12

Hyperphosphorylated tau proteins

Question 13

Describe the formation of amyloid plaques.

Answer 13

Amyloid precursor protein (APP) is cleaved to produce AB peptides.

AB peptides aggregate into insoluble amyloid plaques

Question 14

What are the 2 main forms of AB peptides?

Answer 14

AB40
AB42

Question 15

Which AB peptide is associated with dementia?

Answer 15

AB42

Question 16

AB40 peptide is associated with what pathology?

Answer 16

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy

Question 17

Early onset Alzheimer’s disease has what inheritance pattern and which 3 genes could carry the mutation?

Answer 17

Autosomal dominant

APP
PSen1
PSen2

Question 18

What is a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease?

Answer 18

Variant of the Apolipoprotein E gene on chromosome 19

Question 19

Vascular dementia progresses in which kind of fashion?

Answer 19

Step-wise progression

Question 20

Visual hallucinations are a symptoms of which kind of dementia?

Answer 20

Lewy Bodies dementia

Question 21

Which 2 areas are affected in Braak stages I + II?

Answer 21

Olfactory bulb
Medulla

Question 22

Which 3 areas are affected in Braak stages III + IV?

Answer 22

Midbrain
Amygdala
Hippocampus

Question 23

Which 3 areas are affected in Braak stages V + VI?

Answer 23

Neocortex, motor and sensory cortices

Question 24

What are the 2 types of frontotemporal dementia?

Answer 24

Behavioural variant

Language variant

Question 25

In frontotemporal dementia, what are the 2 types of the language variant?

Answer 25

Semantic Progressive non-fluent aphasia

Question 26

Which type of dementia contains Pick bodies?

Answer 26

Frontotemporal dementia