CH-15-Neurocognitive Disorders – Comprehensive Study Notes

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, disorders, biological features, and treatment concepts from Chapter 15 on Neurocognitive Disorders.

An acute, often reversible disturbance in attention, awareness, and cognition that develops over hours or days and fluctuates during the day.

Delirium

A gradual, significant decline in one or more cognitive domains that interferes with independence in everyday activities; previously called dementia.

Major Neurocognitive Disorder

Modest cognitive decline that does not yet interfere with capacity for independence but requires greater effort or compensation strategies.

Mild Neurocognitive Disorder

Inability to recognize or name objects despite intact sensory functioning.

Agnosia

A form of agnosia characterized by the failure to recognize familiar faces.

Facial Agnosia

Loss or impairment of language ability, affecting speech production, comprehension, or naming.

Aphasia

The most common cause of neurocognitive disorder, involving progressive memory loss, neurofibrillary tangles, and amyloid plaques.

Alzheimer’s Disease

Gradual cognitive decline marked by memory impairment plus deficits in orientation, judgment, language, or reasoning caused by Alzheimer’s pathology.

Neurocognitive Disorder due to Alzheimer’s Disease

Cognitive decline resulting from cerebrovascular accidents (strokes) that damage or block brain blood vessels.

Vascular Neurocognitive Disorder

Degeneration of frontal and/or temporal lobes leading to behavioral disinhibition or language decline; includes Pick’s disease.

Frontotemporal Neurocognitive Disorder

A rare early-onset frontotemporal degeneration producing progressive personality and language changes.

Pick’s Disease

Brain damage caused by impact or rapid movement of the brain within the skull; can lead to neurocognitive disorder.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Persistent cognitive impairment (e.g., memory, executive function) lasting at least a week following a head injury.

Neurocognitive Disorder due to Traumatic Brain Injury

A condition marked by protein deposits (Lewy bodies) in brain cells causing cognitive decline, vivid hallucinations, and parkinsonism.

Lewy Body Disease

Gradual cognitive impairment accompanied by fluctuating alertness, visual hallucinations, and spontaneous parkinsonian features.

Neurocognitive Disorder with Lewy Bodies

Degenerative disorder of dopamine pathways producing tremor, slowed movement, and later cognitive decline.

Parkinson’s Disease

Cognitive deterioration occurring in the context of established Parkinson’s, often after years of motor symptoms.

Neurocognitive Disorder due to Parkinson’s Disease

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 that causes AIDS and can directly damage brain cells.

HIV-1

Cognitive slowing, attention deficits, forgetfulness, and motor problems arising from HIV-related brain changes.

Neurocognitive Disorder due to HIV Infection

Autosomal-dominant genetic disorder producing chorea and, in many, progressive cognitive decline.

Huntington’s Disease

Cognitive impairment following the motor onset of Huntington’s disease, often exhibiting a subcortical pattern.

Neurocognitive Disorder due to Huntington’s Disease

Fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by self-replicating proteins (prions) that destroy brain tissue.

Prion Disease

A rare human prion disease leading to rapid neurocognitive decline and death.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

Persistent cognitive deficits resulting from prolonged substance use or exposure to toxins or medications.

Substance/Medication-Induced Neurocognitive Disorder

Twisted filament bundles inside neurons typical of Alzheimer’s pathology.

Neurofibrillary Tangles

Gummy protein deposits (beta-amyloid) accumulating between neurons in Alzheimer’s disease.

Amyloid Plaques

A susceptibility gene on chromosome 19 that increases risk and lowers age of onset for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Apolipoprotein E4 (apo E4)

A gene on chromosome 21 whose abnormal processing can lead to amyloid plaque formation in early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP)

Medications (e.g., donepezil, rivastigmine) that slow acetylcholine breakdown and temporarily improve cognition in Alzheimer’s.

Cholinesterase Inhibitors

Theory that greater synaptic density (via education or mental activity) delays observable Alzheimer’s symptoms despite brain changes.

Cognitive Reserve Hypothesis

Progressive neurodegeneration from repetitive head impacts, formerly called dementia pugilistica.

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)

Increased confusion and agitation in Alzheimer’s patients late in the day or evening.

Sundowner Syndrome

Neurocognitive impairment primarily affecting inner brain regions, producing slowed thinking and motor problems (e.g., in Parkinson’s, HIV).

Subcortical Dementia

Brief standardized assessment of orientation, registration, attention, recall, and language used to screen for cognitive impairment.

Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE)

Portable cue cards containing personal facts to aid conversation and orientation in early Alzheimer’s.

Memory Wallets

Structured mental exercises (word games, memory tasks) aimed at maintaining cognitive function in dementia.

Cognitive Stimulation