NR 546: WEEK 8-
ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE &
FINAL EXAM REVIEW
,ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE: OVERVIEW
• Early warning signs and symptoms… what are they? The
lesson mentions 10!
• Who’s most affected?
• Those over the age of ____
• Which ethnic group of affected the most?
• AD is characterized by progressive ______ loss and decreasin
_____ function
• Does AD have a cure?
,ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE: NEUROLOGICAL
BASIS
• Genetics
• The development of AD involves a combination of what two factors?
• Do genes play a weak or strong role in the development of AD?
• Genetic coding abnormalities and mutations on chromosomes 21, 14, and 1 may also play a role
• Neuroanatomy
• WHAT ARE THE TWO HALLMARKS OF AD?
• What symptoms do these hallmark signs cause?
• Neural networks
• Damage to synapses, mitochondrial abnormalities, and inflammatory processes cause NTM failure
and neuronal death
• Neural signaling
• Which NTM is responsible for processing memory and learning?
• Does AD lead to an increase or decrease in this NTM activity?
• ACh leads to a permanent loss of cholinergic neurons= this causes short term memory dysfunction
,THE LINK BETWEEN AD AND OTHER
PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS
• Which psychiatric disorder presents in 50% of clients with AD and can
lead to a more rapid decline?
• Up to 90% of patients with dementia may experience neuropsychiatr
symptoms including behavioral disturbances
• Why are antipsychotics not considered a first-line treatment for
behavioral disturbances?
• Which medication class IS considered the first line pharmacologic
treatment for aggression and agitation in dementia patients?
, PROGRESSION OF AD
• Describe whether each statement describes the early, middle,
or late stage of AD progression
• Lisa has short term memory deficits, has trouble recalling the date, and
has stopped attending book club with her friends
• Doug has lost his ability to speak, he no longer remembers his son, and
he requires around the clock care for ADLs
• Megan is upset and agitated because she got lost in the grocery store
she’s been a customer at for the last decade
• Danny was once personable and optimistic but lately he has been
withdrawn, closed off, and moody
• Lexi is unable to recall who she is, the date or time, or where she is. Her
daughter helps her to get dressed and eat in the mornings
ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE &
FINAL EXAM REVIEW
,ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE: OVERVIEW
• Early warning signs and symptoms… what are they? The
lesson mentions 10!
• Who’s most affected?
• Those over the age of ____
• Which ethnic group of affected the most?
• AD is characterized by progressive ______ loss and decreasin
_____ function
• Does AD have a cure?
,ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE: NEUROLOGICAL
BASIS
• Genetics
• The development of AD involves a combination of what two factors?
• Do genes play a weak or strong role in the development of AD?
• Genetic coding abnormalities and mutations on chromosomes 21, 14, and 1 may also play a role
• Neuroanatomy
• WHAT ARE THE TWO HALLMARKS OF AD?
• What symptoms do these hallmark signs cause?
• Neural networks
• Damage to synapses, mitochondrial abnormalities, and inflammatory processes cause NTM failure
and neuronal death
• Neural signaling
• Which NTM is responsible for processing memory and learning?
• Does AD lead to an increase or decrease in this NTM activity?
• ACh leads to a permanent loss of cholinergic neurons= this causes short term memory dysfunction
,THE LINK BETWEEN AD AND OTHER
PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS
• Which psychiatric disorder presents in 50% of clients with AD and can
lead to a more rapid decline?
• Up to 90% of patients with dementia may experience neuropsychiatr
symptoms including behavioral disturbances
• Why are antipsychotics not considered a first-line treatment for
behavioral disturbances?
• Which medication class IS considered the first line pharmacologic
treatment for aggression and agitation in dementia patients?
, PROGRESSION OF AD
• Describe whether each statement describes the early, middle,
or late stage of AD progression
• Lisa has short term memory deficits, has trouble recalling the date, and
has stopped attending book club with her friends
• Doug has lost his ability to speak, he no longer remembers his son, and
he requires around the clock care for ADLs
• Megan is upset and agitated because she got lost in the grocery store
she’s been a customer at for the last decade
• Danny was once personable and optimistic but lately he has been
withdrawn, closed off, and moody
• Lexi is unable to recall who she is, the date or time, or where she is. Her
daughter helps her to get dressed and eat in the mornings
