Alterations in sensory processes and cognitive function

cognition

thinking

thinking

memory, judgement, attentnion

gustatory

taste

stimuli

comes from environment or our own body

environment

external

body

internal

kinesthetic

awareness of body position and movement

stereognosis

sense that perceives solidity of object and their size, shape and texture

reception

stimuli registers

perception

interpretation of stimuli

Reticular actively system (RAS)

responsible for wake, state and sleep; mediated arousal

sensoristasis

optimal arousal states

Somnolent

extreme drowsiness, but will respond normally to stimuli

Stupor

unconscious and can be aroused by extreme or repeated stimuli

Coma

unconscious and cannot be aroused and does not respond to stimuli

sensory deprivation

reduction or absence of usual and accustomed stimuli

sensory deprivation S/S

due to altered sensory reception

deprived environment

mobilize or isolated

sensory overload

one or more of the senses are overloaded

sensory overload S/S

agitation, racing thoughts, confusion

internal stimuli causes

lack of sleep

external stimuli

multiple caregivers, roommate, environment

sensory deficit

impairment, lack of senses

sensory processing disorder

difficulty in the way the brain receives sensory information, or the way the brain organizes and uses that information

challenges interacting in the environment

what can sensory processing disorder lead to?

Factors affecting sensory function

age, cultural, personality and lifestyle, stress and illness, medication

Presbyopia

age related loss causing farsidedness; can see far not near caused by decreased elasticity of the lenses

cataracts

50% of 80+ y/o have clouding of the lenses

Glaucoma

increased intraocular pressure leads to optic nerve damage- irreversible

Retinopathy

diabetes can cause non-inflammatory damage to retina

Macular degeneration (MD)

loss of vision in center of visual field

presbycusis

age related hearing loss

cerumen accumulation

too much wax

peripheral neuropathy

damage to nervous system

increased safety risk

what does alterations in the cognitive function cause?

Cognition

the systematic way in which a person thinks, reasons, and uses language

consciousness

awareness and responsiveness

attention

ability to focus

Memory

ability to retain

Learning

requires new knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation

Affective leanring

related to changes to attitudes, feelings and values

Nonverbal communication

75% of language

Intelligence

ability to apply and acquire knowledge and skills

Reality perception

your perception is your reality

Judgment

interpretation of stimuli and reacting appropiately

Ederly

Normal for sensory deficits but not cognitive deficits

Beers criteria

list of medications that the elderly should not be prescribed

hypoxia S/S

anxiety, restlessness, pallor, cyanosis

Ammonia

by product of protein metabolism toxic to the brain

Expressive Aphasia (Broca’s aphasia)

able to understand but inability to express words one wants to say verbal or written

Receptive aphasia (wernicke’s aphasia)

difficulty understanding verbla or written words doesn’t respond appropriately

Dysarthria

motor speech disorder related to stroke or brain injury

Delirium

acute confusional state usually sudden onset that can potentially be reversed

Dementia

generalized impairment of intellectual functioning that interferes with social and occupational functioning with gradual onset and irreversible

Alzheimers

most common but unknown cause

diffuse Lewy body disease

neurodegenerative example would be parkinson’s

Frontaltemporal demential

loss of nerve cells in frontal or temporal lobes which causes shrinkage and the behavioral, personality, language and movement changes

vascular Dementia

caused by stroke

Depression

reversible condition and may be mistaken for dimentia

Anosognosia

neurological condition where a person is physically and cognitively unable to recognize their own illness, cognitive decline, or physical impairment

Aphasia

acquired communication disorder that impairs a person’s ability to speak, write, and understand spoken or written language due to damage in the brains language centers

Agnosia

rare neurological disorder where a person loses the ability to recognize familiar objects, people, shapes, smells or sounds, even though their primary sensory organs and general intelligence or memory remain intact

Apraxia

neurological motor disorder that prevents a person from performing learned, purposeful movements or tasks, even though they understand the command, want to do it, and have the physical muscle strength and coordination to try

Amnesia

significant loss of facts, information, and experiences while generally generally leaving a person’s intelligence, personality and sense of identity intact

altered perception

a change, distortion, or abnormality in how the brain receives, organizes, and interprets sensory information from the environment or the body itself

apathy

a state of feeling indifferent, detached, or lacking motivation, interest and emotional expression