What is delirium? - ANS-Acute confusional change or loss of consciousness and
perceptual disturbance *caused by a drugs or diseases*
Is delirium rapid or slow? - ANS-Delirium is a *rapid* decrease in attention span and
arousal, commonly caused by drugs or disease.
What differentiates delirium from a neurocognitive disorder? - ANS-Delirium is
*acute, usually reversible* syndrome *caused by a medical condition* versus
neurocognitive disorder which is a long-term impaired memory disease process such
as Alzheimer's disease which is usually not reversible
What type of hallucinations are the most common type experienced by patients with
delirium? - ANS-*Visual hallucinations* are the most common type experienced by
patients with delirium
Delirium, unlike dementia, is usually . . . - ANS-Reversible
What is a typical antipsychotic commonly used for the treatment of delirium? - ANS-
*Haloperidol*
What is the most common cause of delirium? - ANS-*Alcohol abuse* is the most
common cause of delirium, specifically, delirium tremens.
What is the treatment of choice for delirium tremens in alcohol withdrawal? - ANS-
*Benzodiazepines* are the treatment of choice for delirium tremens in alcohol
withdrawal.
What are neurocognitive disorders? - ANS-Neurocognitive disorders are described
as those with a significant (major) or moderate (mild) impairment of cognition or
memory that represents a marked deterioration from a previous level of function
In addition to memory, what are several other areas of cognitive decline that should
be evaluated in the workup of suspected neurocognitive disorder? - ANS-Judgment,
praxis, language, abstract thinking, constructional abilities, and visual recognition
When *altered perception* or *level of consciousness* is present *along with memory
impairment*, what diagnosis should be considered? - ANS-*Delirium*, which is
primarily a disorder of attention and ability to concentrate. The delirious patient may
also be demented (dementia is a risk factor for the development of delirium), but the
initial diagnosis of dementia cannot be made while a patient is delirious.
What is the natural history of most neurocognitive disorders? - ANS-For the most
part, neurocognitive disorders are progressive, but this is not exclusive.
Neurocognitive disorders secondary to trauma is not necessarily progressive.
What percentage of neurocognitive disorder are reversible? - ANS-Rarely (<5>90% of the time. With less stringent criteria,
70%-90% of the time.
What medications are used to improve memory in patients with AD? - ANS-There is
no cure for AD, although anticholinesterase drugs (tacrine, donepezil, rivastigmine,
galantamine) and 1 NMDA receptor antagonist (memantine) are approved for use in
the treatment of the disease. By increasing cholinergic activity in some patients with
AD, some improvement in memory function may be elicited.
What other class of medications may help AD patients? - ANS-Antipsychotic
medications may help control some of the behavioral problems (e.g., agitation) that
may develop in patients with AD. Avoid benzodiazepines.
How common are vascular neurocognitive disorders? - ANS-They are the second
most common type of neurocognitive disorder after the degenerative neurocognitive
disorders and often occur concomitantly with a degenerative neurocognitive disorder.
Pure vascular dementias, however, are relatively rare in patients without a known
history of clinical stroke.
What is the major risk factor for the development of a vascular dementia? - ANSHT
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