PSYCH CIN: Away from her
Do Alzheimer's patients form attachments to novel people in their environment while forgetting close family members and friends?
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Does reading to Alzheimer's patients help them?
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How do patients cope with Alzheimer's? would sticky notes and labeling drawers help people with alzheimer'scope? why aren't these sorts of reminders a long-term solution?
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What are some behavioral-cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer's? a) b) c) d) e) f)
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What is the progression of gross motor movements (e.g walking) of people with alzheimers?
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What sorts of psychological treatments are used with alzheimers patients? what is the evidence that completing jigsaw puzzles is beneficial? What about physical activities such as balloon bandmitton?
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do people with Alzheimer's normally contribute to the discussions and planning related to their long-term care?
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which memories are most likely to be lost? for example, is it the case that more salient memories tied to emotions are more likely to persist?
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What is Alzheimer's disease?
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia — a group of brain disorders that cause the loss of intellectual and social skills. In Alzheimer's disease, the brain cells degenerate and die, causing a steady decline in memory and mental function.
How is Alzheimer's assessed? who normally does the assessment? is naming colors part of a typical alzheimers assessment? is asking what year it is part of a typical assessment? how about asking someone where to remember what a mailbox is for?
Patient assessment tools: General Practitioner Assessment of Cognition (GPCOG) - Available in multiple languages Informational Website GPCOG Tool (English) (pdf) Mini-Cog - Screening for Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults Informational Website Mini-Cog™ (pdf) Memory Impairment Screen (pdf) Informant tools (family members and close friends): Eight-item Informant Interview to Differentiate Aging and Dementia (AD8) (pdf) General Practitioner Assessment of Cognition (GPCOG) - Available in multiple languages Informational Website GPCOG Tool (English) (pdf) Short Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE) - Available in multiple languages Informational Website Short IQCODE (English) (pdf)
How rapid or slow does alzheimers progress? How long is it typically between the diagnosis and transition into a care facility? How long do people with alzheimers typically live? what is it about alzheimers that can lead to death?
Rate of progression through Alzheimer's disease stages The rate of progression for Alzheimer's disease varies widely. On average, people with Alzheimer's disease live eight to 10 years after diagnosis, but some survive 20 years or more. Pneumonia is a common cause of death because impaired swallowing allows food or beverages to enter the lungs, where an infection can begin. Other common causes of death include dehydration, malnutrition and other infections.
describe the characteristics of the stage at which someone with alzheimers is likely to enter a residential care facility? What sort of behavioral or cognitive sympotoms suggest that it is time for long-term residential care?
STAGES: 1. 1.Preclinical Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease begins long before any symptoms become apparent. This stage is called preclinical Alzheimer's disease. You won't notice symptoms during this stage, nor will those around you. This stage of Alzheimer's can last for years, possibly even decades. Although you won't notice any changes, new imaging technologies can now identify deposits of a protein called amyloid beta that is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. The ability to identify these early deposits may be especially important in the future as new treatments are developed for Alzheimer's disease. Additional biomarkers — measures that can indicate an increased risk of disease — have been identified for Alzheimer's disease. These biomarkers can be used to support the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, typically, after symptoms are evident. There are also genetic tests that can tell you if you have a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease, particularly early-onset Alzheimer's disease. As with newer imaging techniques, biomarkers and genetic tests will become more important as new treatments for Alzheimer's disease are developed. 2.Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer's disease People with mild cognitive impairment have mild changes in their memory and thinking ability. These changes aren't significant enough to affect work or relationships yet. People with MCI may have memory lapses when it comes to information that is usually easily remembered, such as conversations, recent events or appointments. People with MCI may also have trouble judging the amount of time needed for a task, or they may have difficulty correctly judging the number or sequence of steps needed to complete a task. The ability to make sound decisions can become harder for people with MCI. Not everyone with mild cognitive impairment has Alzheimer's disease. The same procedures used to identify preclinical Alzheimer's disease can help determine whether MCI is due to Alzheimer's disease or something else. 3.Mild dementia due to Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease is often diagnosed in the mild dementia stage, when it becomes clear to family and doctors that a person is having significant trouble with memory and thinking that impacts daily functioning. In the mild Alzheimer's stage, people may experience: Memory loss for recent events. Individuals may have an especially hard time remembering newly learned information and ask the same question over and over. Difficulty with problem-solving, complex tasks and sound judgments. Planning a family event or balancing a checkbook may become overwhelming. Many people experience lapses in judgment, such as when making financial decisions. Changes in personality. People may become subdued or withdrawn — especially in socially challenging situations — or show uncharacteristic irritability or anger. Reduced motivation to complete tasks also is common. Difficulty organizing and expressing thoughts. Finding the right words to describe objects or clearly express ideas becomes increasingly challenging. Getting lost or misplacing belongings. Individuals have increasing trouble finding their way around, even in familiar places. It's also common to lose or misplace things, including valuable items. 4.Moderate dementia due to Alzheimer's disease During the moderate stage of Alzheimer's disease, people grow more confused and forgetful and begin to need more help with daily activities and self-care. People with moderate Alzheimer's disease may: Show increasingly poor judgment and deepening confusion. Individuals lose track of where they are, the day of the week or the season. They may confuse family members or close friends with one another, or mistake strangers for family. They may wander, possibly in search of surroundings that feel more familiar. These difficulties make it unsafe to leave those in the moderate Alzheimer's stage on their own. Experience even greater memory loss. People may forget details of their personal history, such as their address or phone number, or where they attended school. They repeat favorite stories or make up stories to fill gaps in memory. Need help with some daily activities. Assistance may be required with choosing proper clothing for the occasion or the weather and with bathing, grooming, using the bathroom and other self-care. Some individuals occasionally lose control of their bladder or bowel movements. Undergo significant changes in personality and behavior. It's not unusual for people with moderate Alzheimer's disease to develop unfounded suspicions — for example, to become convinced that friends, family or professional caregivers are stealing from them or that a spouse is having an affair. Others may see or hear things that aren't really there. Individuals often grow restless or agitated, especially late in the day. Some people may have outbursts of aggressive physical behavior. 5. Severe dementia due to Alzheimer's disease In the severe (late) stage of Alzheimer's disease, mental function continues to decline, and the disease has a growing impact on movement and physical capabilities. In severe Alzheimer's disease, people generally: Lose the ability to communicate coherently. An individual can no longer converse or speak coherently, although he or she may occasionally say words or phrases. Require daily assistance with personal care. This includes total assistance with eating, dressing, using the bathroom and all other daily self-care tasks. Experience a decline in physical abilities. A person may become unable to walk without assistance, then unable to sit or hold up his or her head without support. Muscles may become rigid and reflexes abnormal. Eventually, a person loses the ability to swallow and to control bladder and bowel functions.
What areas of the brain are correlated with Alzheimer's? At the neural level, what is happening?
The cortex includes the hippocampus, which is an area of the brain that helps new memories form. The damage to the brain eventually causes problems with memory, intelligence, judgment, language, and behavior.
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WILL NOT BE ON EXAM
What are the characteristics- a)age b)gender c)education d)socioeconomic status of people who get alzheimers?
a)AGE:Increasing age is the greatest known risk factor for Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's is not a part of normal aging, but your risk increases greatly after you reach age 65. The rate of dementia doubles every decade after age 60. (People with rare genetic changes linked to early-onset Alzheimer's begin experiencing symptoms as early as their 30s.) b)GENDER:Women seem to be more likely than are men to develop Alzheimer's disease, in part because they live longer. C)EDUCATION:Life experiences that engage the brain, such as higher educational attainment in this case, may protect against biological changes in the brain that underlie Alzheimer's."- Ozimoa Okonkwo d)SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS:Leaving full-time education at an earlier age was associated with an increased risk of dementia death in women (fully adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for age ⩽14 v. age ⩾16: HR = 1.76, 95% CI 1.23-2.53) but not men.Lower educational attainment in women was associated with an increased risk of dementia-related death independently of common risk behaviours and comorbidities.
