Nursing 233 EXAM 1| Pathophysiology, Clinical Management, Cognitive Disorders, Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia Care, Behavioral Interventions, Sundowning, Neurotransmitter Dysfunction, Cognitive Impairment, Risk Factor Analysis, Neuroimaging, Mini-Mental St

Nursing 233 EXAM 1| Pathophysiology, Clinical Management, Cognitive Disorders, Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia Care, Behavioral Interventions, Sundowning, Neurotransmitter Dysfunction, Cognitive Impairment, Risk Factor Analysis, Neuroimaging, Mini-Mental State Examination, PET/CT Scanning, Nutritional Strategies, Swallowing Disorders, Patient Safety, Wandering Prevention, Caregiver Support, Self-Care Promotion, Therapeutic Communication, Environmental Modification, Pharmacologic Considerations, End-of-Life Planning, Infection Control, Chronic Disease Management, Psychosocial Adaptation, Functional Ability Maintenance, Health Promotion, Symptom Monitoring, Quality of Life Enhancement, Evidence-Based Practice Implementation, Multidisciplinary Collaboration Exam Questions Verified and Provided with Complete A+ Graded Rationales Latest Updated 2026 is alzheimers disease a type of dementia? yes PATHOPHYSIOLOGY of alzheimers • No proven cause • Decrease in neurotransmitters • Theories: restriction of blood flow, destruction of cells by free radicals, and apoptosis Actual diagnosis of alzheimers made only at autopsy RISK FACTORS advanced age and fam history CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS initially: little to no decline regarding self-care Forgetfulness = 1st symptom - language difficulties, short-term memory, loss of sensory information, emotional lability, changes in personality, loss of cognitive skills - loss of ability to complete tasks DIAGNOSTIC STUDIES tests and brain scans tests for alzheimers mental status and physical/neuro exams brain scans for alzheimers CT, MRI, and PET DIAGNOSTIC STUDIES Neuropsychologic testing can help document the degree of cognitive impairment - mini cog - MMSE used to determine a baseline from which to evaluate change over time MINI MENTAL STATE EXAMINATION (MMSE) - tool that can be used to systematically and thoroughly assess mental status - tests five areas of cognitive function: orientation, registration, attention and calculation,recall, and language - score of 23 or lower is indicative of cognitive impairment (max = 30) - takes only 5-10 minutes to administer and istherefore practical to use repeatedly and routinely PET Scan Positron Emission Tomography(PET): form of brain imaging that detects Alzheimer's-related"plaques" using a radioactive agent - areas of scan with decreased metabolic activity in brain show less vascularization (more black in center of brain) Assessment and analysis of alzheimers nurse assess cognitive and physical function Patient Problems associated with alzheimers Acute confusion Caregiver role strain Ineffective coping Imp