neurocognitive disorders

delirium v dementia

delirium v dementia

short-term and episodic, caused LOC changes

dementia is a cognitive decline with several types and spans from months to years

delirium

disturbance in attention that develops over a short period of time, with an additional disturbance in cognition

dementia

significant cognitive decline from previous performance in one or more cognitive domains (complex attention, executive function, learning and memory, language, perceptual-motor, or social cognition)

-gradual and permanent loss of cognitive function

delirium etiology

intoxication or withdrawal, drugs, stress, sleep deprivation, emotional disturbances

delirium manifestations

irritability, confusion, hyperactivity, trembling, tachycardia, sweating, tremors, nausea, vomiting, impaired consciousness, seizures, and hallucinations

DELIRIUM TREMENS CAN LEAD TO DEATH

delirium comorbidities

dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, infection, hepatic encephalopathy, metabolic disorders, tumors, b12 deficiency

alzheimers etiology

presence of amyloid plaques, age is strongest risk factor, woman, TBI, down syndrome, vascular disease

alzehimers

insidious onset and gradual progression of impairment

mild alzheimers symtpoms

disease is not obvious but family and friends may notice subtle changes, misplaces objects and forgets names, trouble with planning/organizing, makes up words (neologisms)

neologism

making up words

moderate alzheimer’s symptoms

confused about place/time, needs help with routine tasks like dressing appropriately, confabulate, wandering, sundowning, may have language difficulties, apraxia, agnosia

severe alzheimer’s symptoms

difficulty communicating, responding to their environment, and controlling movement

behavior is atypical and commonly hostile

agraphia, hypermetamorphosis, and hyperorality may manifest

agraphia

inability to communicate through writing

hypermetamorphosis

feeling the need to touch everything

hyperorality

tendency to put objects into one’s mouth

confabulate

making up something because they cannot remember

aphasia

inability to correctly remember words

apraxia

unable to perform motor activities even when physically intact

agnosia

unable to recognize objects even though sensory ability is still intact

best diet

mediterranean-dash diet

perservate

repeated motion or speaking

delirium tremens

rapid onset of irritability, confusion, tremors, nausea, vomiting, and seizures caused by Alcohol from substances

how is social cognition measured

client is asked to identify emotions of faces in pictures

how is language cognition measured

list of several words that all start with the same letter

ex, name 10 words beginning with the letter H

how is complex attention cognition measured

client is asked to press a button when an image is seen, or sound heard

how is learning and memory cognition measured

client is asked to recall words or numbers

how is executive function cognition measured

client is asked to calculate numbers; also known as working memory

definition of alzheimers

insidious onset and gradual progression of impairment

Alzheimer’s requirements

typically a genetic mutation, and evidence of memory and learning decline and at least one other cognitive domain decline, progressive decline in condition, and no evidence of mixed etiology

palliative care

specialized medical care focused on comfort and reduction of symptoms for individuals with a serious or life-threatening illness

strongest risk factor for alzheimers

AGE

cognitive attention cognitive domain

sustained attention, divided attention, selective attention, processing speed

executive function cognitive domain

planning, decision making, responding to feedback, working memory, flexibility, and overriding habits

learning and memory cognitive domain

immediate memory, recent memory, very-long term memory

language cognitive domain

expressive, grammar, and syntax, receptive language

perceptual-motor cognitive domain

visual perception, visuconstructional, perceptual-motor, praxis, gnosis

social cognitive cognitive domain

recognition of emotions, theory of mind

neurofibrillary tangles

build up of tau proteins within neurons that clump together, die, and form amyloid plaques. making neural connections lost

nursing interventions for neurocognitive disorders in general

protecting client from injury as well as promoting client dignity and quality of life