L15 Dementia Flashcards
(22 cards)
dementia: umbrella term for…
alzheimer’s
vascular dementia
PD dementia
Lewy body dementia
frontotemporal dementia
creutzfeldt Jakoc disease
general diagnostic criteria for dementia
memory impairment + one other issue
important bc memory deficits are common with aging
general characteristics of dementia
impairments in function, memory, attention, logical thinking, social/occupational functioning
changes in judgment/problem solving
memory loss focused on recent events
s/s of dementia
poor judgement
frequent memory loss affecting ADLs
abstract thinking loss
forgetting simple words
loss of initiative
misplace items or placing them in the wrong place
difficulty performing familiar tasks
personality change
disorientation to time and place
mood/bx changes
dementia screening exams
MMSE
MOCA
Mini-Cog
CT scan - structural problem
MRI - areas of change in Alzheimers
PET - metabolic activity in brain
alzheimer’s risk factors
age
family hx
TBI
head heart connection - oxygen perfusion to brain and heart health
cellular changes in alzheimer’s disease
beta amyloid plaques
neurofibrillary tangles/tau
reactive microglia
astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, endothelial, and pericytes also affected
overall reduction in dendrites and synapses in brain
changes cause breakdown of cell microtubules leading to diseased or dying neurons
why does TBI lead to alzheimer’s?
neuronal death/axonal damage, BBB impairment/vascular impairment, and neuronal inflammation
all can cause toxic protein misfolding and accumulation that lead to neurodegeneration
Vascular dementia
fastest progressing type of dementia due to lack of brain perfusion
MRI findings of vascular dementia
loss of gyri
periventricular damage
increased ventricle size
subcortical damage
causes of vascular dementia
CV disease:
- blood clots
- CVA
- small vessel disease
-untreated HTN
- DM II
risk factors: smoking, obesity
lewy body dementia
alpha synuclein protein found in dopamine producing cells’ synaptic terminals folds on itself to form clumps called lewy bodies
these clumps destroy axon terminals and cause mitochondrial dysfunction leading to oxidative distress
s/s of lewy body dementia
changes in reasoning
fluctuating cognitive level
delirium/hallucination
spontaneous attention changes
REM sleep disorder
slow movement
tremors
rigidity
link between LBD and PD
both have abnormal clumping of alpha synuclein
they are distinct diagnoses of exclusion
LBD: more visual/motor disturbances along w judgement and planning
early stage LBD
delusions
restlessness
REM sleep disorder
movement difficulties
urinary issues
middle stage LBD
motor impairment
speech difficulty
decreased attention
paranoia
significant confusion
late stage LBD
extreme muscle rigidity
speech difficulty
sensitivity to touch
susceptible to infection
median survival of alzheimer’s
84.6 y/o
gender prevalence of dementia
alzheimer’s higher in women
LBD higher in men
LBD median survival
79 y/o
factors impacting dementia pts
diet
exercise: strength, balance, endurance, flexibility in 30 min intervals
cognitive training
socialization: listening
benefits of aerobic exercise for inflammatory brain disease
BDNF
increased perfusion to brain
improved sleep hygiene
reduced brain inflammation
increased hippocampus neurogenesis
increased functional/cognitive capacity
