Dementia

Question 1

Dementia

Answer 1

Term to describe a set of symptoms such as deterioration of intellect, behaviour and personality such that is affects day to day life.

Question 2

Three main types of dementia are :

Answer 2

1. Alzheimer’s disease
2. Lewy body dementia
3. Vascular dementia

Question 3

Lewy body dementia

Answer 3

1. Protein deposits called lewy bodies within neurons in the cerebral cortex
2. Lewy bodies build up in neurons and causes neurons to die

Question 4

Vascular dementia

Answer 4

Progressive loss of brain function due to poor blood flow to the brain

1. Atherosclerois in carotid arteries
2. Reduce blood flow to the brain - chronic ischaemia
3. Ischaemic stroke
4. Brain tissue necrosis/loss of brain function -> Dementia

Question 5

Clinical charac lewy body dementia

Answer 5

• overlap with idiopathic parkinson’s disease
• Cognitive impairment
• Visual hallucination
• Resting tremor
• Slow and stiff movement

Question 6

Alzheimer’s disease

Answer 6

Most common form of dementia

1. Neurodegenerative - loss of neurons in brain tissue
2. Build up of amyloid plaques can affect neuronal transmission
3. Overtime brain atrophies/Gyri get narrower/Ventricles get larger

Question 7

Risk factors for Alzheimer’s

Answer 7

1. Sporadic - late onset/ cause not found

2. Familial - dominant gene/early onset alzheimer’s

Question 8

Symptoms for alzheimer’s

Answer 8

1. Loss of shorterm memory
2. Motor skills lost
3. Loss of long term memory
4. Loss of language