Dementia

Question 1

what is the definition of dementia?

Answer 1

describe the symptoms of a large group of illnesses which causes a progressive decline in a persons functioning. It is a broad term used to describe a loss of memory, intellect, rationslity, social skills and physical functioning.

Question 2

alzheimers disease

Answer 2

amyloid/neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (Tau) > interfere with communication between neurons

cortical atrophy, reduced size of hippocampus, enlarged ventricles

Question 3

symptoms of alzheimers

Answer 3

Memory symptoms:
- primary deficit in episodic memory (who,what, when)
- persistent and frequent short-term memory loss
- repeatedly saying the same thing
- difficulty in learning new information

Plus impairments of:
- language - word finding difficulties
- Visuo-spatial perception
- planning, reasoning and problem solving
- Abstract thinking
- orientations

Question 4

Frontotemporal dementia

Answer 4

neurodegenerative disease characterised by progressive deficits in behaviour, executive function or language

Progressive atrophy of frontal and temporal regions

Question 5

three variants of Frontotemporal dementia

Answer 5

1. behaviorual
2. non-fluent variant progressive aphasia
3. semantic variant progressive aphasia

Question 6

behavioural variant

Answer 6

personal changes, disinhibition and apathy

socially inappropriate behaviour

language typically intact

Question 7

non-fluent variant progressive aphasia

Answer 7

non-fluent, effortful speech but preserved cognition

inconsistent speech sound errors

anomia

Question 8

semantic variant progressive aphasia

Answer 8

selective impairment of semantic memory

impairment of word meaning and finding

fluent but empty speech

Question 9

lewy body dementia

Answer 9

includes clinically diagnosed dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson’s disease dementia

Lewy bodies are the abnormal deposits of the protein in the brain

The accumulation of Lewy bodies is associated with neuronal loss in substantia nigra and reduced production of important neurotransmitters

Question 10

lewy body dementia common symptoms

Answer 10

executive function

difficulties with visuaspatial function and selective attention

deficits with episodic memory and recall difficulty

Question 11

vacular dementia

Answer 11

cognitive loss associated with cerebrovascular damage - eg. cerebral haemorrhages

DSM diagnostic criteria either:
▪ onset of cognitive deficits are related to one or more cerebrovascular events and/or
▪ evidence of decline in complex attention (processing speed) and frontal executive function

usually occurs after an abrupt onset (eg. stroke) but progression can be variable

Question 12

symptoms of Vacular dementia

Answer 12

attention deficits

executive dysfunction

deficits in memory

gait abnormalities

exaggerated reflexes