Dementia Types

what is dementia?

progressive decline in two or more cognitive domains that interfere with independence

MCI can precede this

what is affected by dementia?

memory, executive function, language, visuospatial skills, behavior

how many people worldwide currently have dementia?

around 55 million people

how many new cases of dementia occur per year globally?

10 million new cases

in the U.S. how many Americans have dementia?

around 6.7mil, who are 65+ years old

what is DIRE?

it is a checklist medical professionals use to confirm whether or not patient has dementia

what does DIRE stand for?

decline in cognition, impairment in function, rule out delirium, exclude other psychiatric conditions

is the MoCA used to diagnose dementia?

no. it is used to screen for MCI

in Alzheimers Disease (AD), it starts in _____ and spreads to. _____ and _____ lobes

hippocampus, parietal, frontal

explain the neuropathology happening outside of the brain cells relating to AD

beta-amyloid clumps up and results in build-up/plaque → build up is being released outside of the brain cells (extracellular deposition) → disrupts synaptic function of the neurons

explain the neuropathology happening inside the brain cells relating to AD

tau neurofibrillary strands become twisted → occur only inside the cell (intracellular) → destroys the internal pathway for neurons leading to neuron degeneration

what symptoms occur early in AD?

memory loss, word-finding difficulty, spatial disorientation

what symptoms occur later in AD?

global decline, language impairments, agitations, motor impairments, dysphagia

T or F: Vascular dementia is the most common dementia

False; AD is the most common, with vascular being second most common

what are risk factors with Vascular Dementia?

hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, stroke, atrial fibrillation

atrial fibrillation

upper heart chamber beats chaotically and out of sync from the bottom chamber