Bender 1

Question 1

What is Dementia

Answer 1

• An acquired syndrome of decline in memory and other cognitive functiosn sufficient to affect daily life in an alert patient
• Progressive and disabling
• NOT an inherent aspect of aging
• different from normal cognitive lapses

Question 2

History

Answer 2

Ask both the patient and a reliable informant about thepatients

• date of onset of current condition and nature of symptom
• medical history
• current medications and medication history
• patterns of alcohol use or abuse
• living arrangements

Question 3

Differential diagnosis of dementia

Answer 3

DEMENTIAS

• Drugs
• Emotional (psychiatric) disorders
• metabolic disorders
• endocrine problems
• nutritional and neurologic disease
• trauma and tumor
• infection, ischemia, inflammation
• anemia, arrythmia
• social, sensory, spiritual isolation

Question 4

What are teh distinguishing signs of delirium

Answer 4

• Delirium and demention OFTEN occur together in older hospitalized patients
• DELIRIUM:
  
  • ACUTE ONSET
  • COGNITIVE FLUCTUATIONS OVER HOURS OR DAYS
  • IMPAIRED CONSCIOUSNESS AND ATTENTION
  • ALTERED SLEEP CYCLES

Question 5

DEPRESSION vs DEMENTIA

Answer 5

symptoms often overlap

DEPRESSION:

• Impaired concentration
• lack of motivation, loss of interest, apathy
• psychomotor retardation
• sleep disturbances

Question 6

Patients with primary depression are generally unlike those with dementia in that they:

Answer 6

• Demenonstrate decrese motivation durign cognitive testing
• express cognitive complaints that exceed measured deficits
• maintain language and motor skills

Question 7

primary goal of tx

Answer 7

to enahnce quality of life and maximize functional performance by improving cognition, mood, and behavior