OCCTH 585 Exam Study Set | Questions with
Complete Answers
In people with AD, dendritic changes and neurocortical degeneration is resulting from
what 3 main causes? - ✔✔1) Neuritic plaques (Senile plaques) (β-amyloid) - appears
in normal aging - but would expect more in AD
- Develop in the parenchyma of the brain
- Not strictly intraneuronal, extracellular structures
- Extracellular deposits of amyloid beta in the grey matter of the brain
2) Neurofibrillary tangles (tau)
- tau protein
- Strictly intraneuronal
- Lead to the death of neuron
- Specific to AD
3) Due to abnormality in the metabolism of two distinctive proteins
Beta amyloid plaques - ✔✔occurs in normal aging --especially over the age of 80 --
not a big difference of people with AD vs normal aging brain -- however may have a
lower prevalence rate and lower number of plaques
discrete spherical lesions
consist mostly of beta amyloid peptide or amyloid plaques
how does B-amyloid plaques form? - ✔✔-Defective breakdown of a benign substance
known as amyloid precursor protein (APP), integral membrane protein concentrated in
the synapses of neurons
,(occurs outside of the neurons)
-Produce sticky insoluble shards of β-amyloid plaques -> stick together (form clusters),
form dense plaques, -> damage axons
Which lobe is most severely affected by plaques? - ✔✔temporal
Hippocampus volume is reduced by up to ____% in advanced AD (reduced connectivity
of the hippocampus with other brain areas)
And the volume of the Amygdala in Advanced AD is reduced by ____% - ✔✔60%
45%
hippocampus =____________ memory - people with degeneration in the hippocampus
have issues with this and spatial navigation - ✔✔episodic
how does Neurofilbrillary tangles occur in AD? - ✔✔- for some reason there is
degeneration of the Tau protein that regulates the assembly of microtubules (of the
axon) and stabilizes their structure
- the neurofibers (of the microtubules no longer held together) then start to tangle
together forming a bundle of filaments called a helix or neurofilbrillary tangle
(picture a strand of hair with multiple split ends that forms a messy knot or clump of
hair)
In moderate stage of AD, the person will have some confusion from the deterioration of
the _______ and emotional changes due to its affect on the _________ of the limbic
,system. - ✔✔SCN (Suprachiasmatic nucleus) located in the hippocampus region and
directly above the optic chiasm, controls the circadian clock rhythms (day-night cycle);
amygdala
In AD, you will see _________ neurons destroyed. These neurons form the track that
sends messages via the neurotransmitter acetylcholine from the Nucleus basalis
(bottom of frontal lobe) to other cortical areas of the brain. In AD, the Nucleus Basalis is
reduced by 70%! This reduction of neurotransmitter in the brain has an impact on
processing speed and response, etc. - ✔✔cholinergic
What is brain atrophy? - ✔✔cortical shrinkage and enlarged ventricles of the brain
causes issues with processing information
- this accelerates as the disease progresses
- not evenly distributed
- mostly in the gyri of association areas
90% of AD is late onset, around the age of ____ and has no known genetic cause -
✔✔65 (risk doubles every 5 years after this age)
History of what 3 things may increase your risk of AD? - ✔✔- head injury (neuronal
secretion of amyloid plaques / speed up the production of amyloid protein)
- depression
- ECT treatments
which is the most prevalent form of dementia? least? - ✔✔AD = 50-70% of all cases
VD = 15-20%
Lewy Bodies = 10-20% (75-80 years old)
, Frontotemporal = 5%
Frontotemporal Dementia - ✔✔As the name suggests, causes degeneration of the
frontal and temporal lobes (i.e. cortico-basal areas, frontal/anterior temporal lobes,
striatum, broca's area = expressive speech, Wernicke's area = receptive speech).
- It is primarily progressive aphasia and can occur at a young age.
- Plaques are not typically seen in this type.
- Symptoms can include change in character and social conduct (mood swings), speech
problems, Affect changes (poor motivation, indifference, flat affect)
Dementia with Lewy Bodies - ✔✔Caused by abnormal deposits of a protein inside the
brain's nerve cells that cause symptoms similar to Parkinsons (can occur by itself or
together with alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease).
- Affects the areas of the brain that involve thinking and movement.
- symptoms: memory issues (early), speech, motor parkinsonism, transient loss of
consciousness, hallucinations and delusions
Huntington Disease - ✔✔younger onset (typically age 30-50 or even as young as 2
and as old as 80) of an inherited disease that causes the progressive breakdown of nerve
cells (basal ganglia) in the brain. Uncontrolled movements, cognitive and psychiatric
disorders
Complete Answers
In people with AD, dendritic changes and neurocortical degeneration is resulting from
what 3 main causes? - ✔✔1) Neuritic plaques (Senile plaques) (β-amyloid) - appears
in normal aging - but would expect more in AD
- Develop in the parenchyma of the brain
- Not strictly intraneuronal, extracellular structures
- Extracellular deposits of amyloid beta in the grey matter of the brain
2) Neurofibrillary tangles (tau)
- tau protein
- Strictly intraneuronal
- Lead to the death of neuron
- Specific to AD
3) Due to abnormality in the metabolism of two distinctive proteins
Beta amyloid plaques - ✔✔occurs in normal aging --especially over the age of 80 --
not a big difference of people with AD vs normal aging brain -- however may have a
lower prevalence rate and lower number of plaques
discrete spherical lesions
consist mostly of beta amyloid peptide or amyloid plaques
how does B-amyloid plaques form? - ✔✔-Defective breakdown of a benign substance
known as amyloid precursor protein (APP), integral membrane protein concentrated in
the synapses of neurons
,(occurs outside of the neurons)
-Produce sticky insoluble shards of β-amyloid plaques -> stick together (form clusters),
form dense plaques, -> damage axons
Which lobe is most severely affected by plaques? - ✔✔temporal
Hippocampus volume is reduced by up to ____% in advanced AD (reduced connectivity
of the hippocampus with other brain areas)
And the volume of the Amygdala in Advanced AD is reduced by ____% - ✔✔60%
45%
hippocampus =____________ memory - people with degeneration in the hippocampus
have issues with this and spatial navigation - ✔✔episodic
how does Neurofilbrillary tangles occur in AD? - ✔✔- for some reason there is
degeneration of the Tau protein that regulates the assembly of microtubules (of the
axon) and stabilizes their structure
- the neurofibers (of the microtubules no longer held together) then start to tangle
together forming a bundle of filaments called a helix or neurofilbrillary tangle
(picture a strand of hair with multiple split ends that forms a messy knot or clump of
hair)
In moderate stage of AD, the person will have some confusion from the deterioration of
the _______ and emotional changes due to its affect on the _________ of the limbic
,system. - ✔✔SCN (Suprachiasmatic nucleus) located in the hippocampus region and
directly above the optic chiasm, controls the circadian clock rhythms (day-night cycle);
amygdala
In AD, you will see _________ neurons destroyed. These neurons form the track that
sends messages via the neurotransmitter acetylcholine from the Nucleus basalis
(bottom of frontal lobe) to other cortical areas of the brain. In AD, the Nucleus Basalis is
reduced by 70%! This reduction of neurotransmitter in the brain has an impact on
processing speed and response, etc. - ✔✔cholinergic
What is brain atrophy? - ✔✔cortical shrinkage and enlarged ventricles of the brain
causes issues with processing information
- this accelerates as the disease progresses
- not evenly distributed
- mostly in the gyri of association areas
90% of AD is late onset, around the age of ____ and has no known genetic cause -
✔✔65 (risk doubles every 5 years after this age)
History of what 3 things may increase your risk of AD? - ✔✔- head injury (neuronal
secretion of amyloid plaques / speed up the production of amyloid protein)
- depression
- ECT treatments
which is the most prevalent form of dementia? least? - ✔✔AD = 50-70% of all cases
VD = 15-20%
Lewy Bodies = 10-20% (75-80 years old)
, Frontotemporal = 5%
Frontotemporal Dementia - ✔✔As the name suggests, causes degeneration of the
frontal and temporal lobes (i.e. cortico-basal areas, frontal/anterior temporal lobes,
striatum, broca's area = expressive speech, Wernicke's area = receptive speech).
- It is primarily progressive aphasia and can occur at a young age.
- Plaques are not typically seen in this type.
- Symptoms can include change in character and social conduct (mood swings), speech
problems, Affect changes (poor motivation, indifference, flat affect)
Dementia with Lewy Bodies - ✔✔Caused by abnormal deposits of a protein inside the
brain's nerve cells that cause symptoms similar to Parkinsons (can occur by itself or
together with alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease).
- Affects the areas of the brain that involve thinking and movement.
- symptoms: memory issues (early), speech, motor parkinsonism, transient loss of
consciousness, hallucinations and delusions
Huntington Disease - ✔✔younger onset (typically age 30-50 or even as young as 2
and as old as 80) of an inherited disease that causes the progressive breakdown of nerve
cells (basal ganglia) in the brain. Uncontrolled movements, cognitive and psychiatric
disorders
