DEMENTIA TYPE-ALZHEIMER'S DEMENTIA

SUMMARY

1. Most common cause of dementia after age 60. Time of dx to death: 6 yrs.

FEATURES

2. Initial signs of AD commonly reflect hippocampal dysfunction, with poor immediate recall and short-term memory & impaired naming.

3. As the disease progresses, impairments emerge in visuospatial (parietal lobe) and executive domains (frontal lobe).

4. Do not diagnose AD if: hx of CVD, features of fronto-temporal or Lewy-body dementia, psychiatric dz, taking a medication that can cause cognitive impairment.

5. Summary: prominent memory loss, repetition, losing items, word-finding difficulty, getting lost.

Reference(s)

Wilkinson, I., Furmedge, D. and Sinharay, R. (2017). Oxford handbook of clinical medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Get it on Amazon.
Feather, A., Randall, D. and Waterhouse, M. (2020). Kumar And Clark’s Clinical Medicine. 10th ed. S.L.: Elsevier Health Sciences. Get it on Amazon.
Hannaman, R. A., Bullock, L., Hatchell, C. A., & Yoffe, M. (2016). Internal medicine review core curriculum, 2017-2018. CO Springs, CO: MedStudy.
Therapeutic Guidelines. Melbourne: Therapeutic Guidelines Limited. https://www.tg.org.au [Accessed 2021].