Exam Bank for Dementia- Questions and Answers Latest Update 2025 (Rated A+)
What is the primary memory deficit in Alzheimer dementia? - Answers Anterograde amnesia
Name the three subtypes of MCI. - Answers Amnestic,\nNonamnestic,\nMultiple domain
What is the isolated impairment usually observed in amnestic MCI? - Answers Verbal memory
impairment.
What percentage of MCI cases convert to dementia every year? - Answers 10 to 14%
What are the earliest pathological biomarkers for preclinical Alzheimer disease? - Answers 1. PET
amyloid imaging\n2. Accumulation of a-beta-42 in the cerebrospinal fluid. \n3. Hippocampal volume
loss.
What are the neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer disease made of? - Answers Tau protein abnormalities
What causes the lesions of Alzheimer disease? - Answers Amyloid plaques that are diffuse\n \
nNeurofibrillary tangles made out of tau abnormalities.
What neurotransmitters/chemicals does the brain produce less of, and become less sensitive to, in
Alzheimer disease? - Answers 1. Choline acetyltransferase\n2. Norepinephrine\n3. Serotonin\n \nC.N.S.
In what direction (i.e., from what lobe to what lobe) does Alzheimer disease progress? - Answers
Temporal to frontal spread that eventually involves multiple brain systems.
What are the earliest brain structures implicated in Alzheimer disease? - Answers The hippocampus and
Enterothinal cortex
What structures are relatively unaffected until late in the disease process of Alzheimer's disease? -
Answers Subcortical structures, Primary motor, visual, auditory, and somatosensory cortices.
What is the single strongest risk factor for Alzheimer disease? - Answers Age
What genetic risk factor is predictive of late onset Alzheimer's disease? - Answers ApoE4
Which chromosome that is also involved in Down syndrome is associated with Alzheimer's disease? -
Answers Chromosome 21.\n \nWhich is why it is hypothesized that individuals with down syndrome
typically develop plaques consistent with AD
What are some general medical risk factors for Alzheimer disease? - Answers 1. Poorly controlled
diabetes (diabetes causes everything)\n2. Moderate to severe TBI.\n3. History of chronic major
depression\n4. Small vessel cerebrovascular disease\n5. Low cognitive reserve.
What percentage of people over 65 have AD? - Answers 5%\n \nOr, 5.4 million
At what rate does the prevalence of AD develop after age 65? - Answers It doubles every 4-5 years.
, What is the average age of diagnosis for Alzheimer disease? - Answers 75, with most being diagnosed in
the 70s
Are minorities more or less likely to get Alzheimer's disease? - Answers More likely.\n \nAfrican-
Americans are twice as likely and Latin Americans are about 1.5 times more likely
What percentage of AD patients have the family variant of the disease? - Answers 5%
How many people over age 85 meet criteria for AD? - Answers 25-50%
What percentage of all dementia patients have AD? - Answers 70%
What is the length of illness in AD? - Answers 5-15 years.
Does AD progress faster or slower with older age? - Answers Slower.\n \n(It's the opposite of PD, where
patients who are younger have a slower progression).
What is the difference between early AD and pseudodementia? - Answers AD patients downplay their
deficits; Pseudodementia patients complain a lot about their problems.\n \nAD patients have less
fluctuations in their battery.
What behavioral challenges can be seen in early AD? - Answers Social withdrawal\n \nLoss of interest\
n \nTrouble with sequencing and problem solving\n(usually at work or home environment)
How accurate is clinical diagnosis of AD based on a comprehensive evaluation? - Answers 85 to 90%
What does a comprehensive evaluation of AD include? - Answers MRI\nBlood work\nNeurologic Exam\
nNeuropsychological Exam
What are 4 common sensory and motor declines in normal aging? - Answers Hearing loss\n \nDecreased
visual acuity, scanning, and adaptation to the dark\n \nReduced odor sensitivity\n \nDecreased motor
speed, coordination, and strength
How do sleep patterns change in normal aging? - Answers Sleep is more fragmented with less at night
and naps during the day\n\nSleep earlier and get up earlier
Is reduced brain volume normal with aging? - Answers Yes.
What cognitive abilities are resistant to aging? - Answers 1. Vocabulary and verbal skills\n2. Simple
attention and concentration\n3. Basic math \n4. Recognition memory and remembering the gist of
information\n5. Remote memory
What cognitive abilities decline with aging? - Answers 1. Sustained attention\n2. Divided attention\n3.
Slower learning and acquisition\n4. Decreased cognitive flexibility
What percentage of patients in their 70s are diagnosed with MCI? 80s? - Answers 10%\n25%
What is the primary memory deficit in Alzheimer dementia? - Answers Anterograde amnesia
Name the three subtypes of MCI. - Answers Amnestic,\nNonamnestic,\nMultiple domain
What is the isolated impairment usually observed in amnestic MCI? - Answers Verbal memory
impairment.
What percentage of MCI cases convert to dementia every year? - Answers 10 to 14%
What are the earliest pathological biomarkers for preclinical Alzheimer disease? - Answers 1. PET
amyloid imaging\n2. Accumulation of a-beta-42 in the cerebrospinal fluid. \n3. Hippocampal volume
loss.
What are the neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer disease made of? - Answers Tau protein abnormalities
What causes the lesions of Alzheimer disease? - Answers Amyloid plaques that are diffuse\n \
nNeurofibrillary tangles made out of tau abnormalities.
What neurotransmitters/chemicals does the brain produce less of, and become less sensitive to, in
Alzheimer disease? - Answers 1. Choline acetyltransferase\n2. Norepinephrine\n3. Serotonin\n \nC.N.S.
In what direction (i.e., from what lobe to what lobe) does Alzheimer disease progress? - Answers
Temporal to frontal spread that eventually involves multiple brain systems.
What are the earliest brain structures implicated in Alzheimer disease? - Answers The hippocampus and
Enterothinal cortex
What structures are relatively unaffected until late in the disease process of Alzheimer's disease? -
Answers Subcortical structures, Primary motor, visual, auditory, and somatosensory cortices.
What is the single strongest risk factor for Alzheimer disease? - Answers Age
What genetic risk factor is predictive of late onset Alzheimer's disease? - Answers ApoE4
Which chromosome that is also involved in Down syndrome is associated with Alzheimer's disease? -
Answers Chromosome 21.\n \nWhich is why it is hypothesized that individuals with down syndrome
typically develop plaques consistent with AD
What are some general medical risk factors for Alzheimer disease? - Answers 1. Poorly controlled
diabetes (diabetes causes everything)\n2. Moderate to severe TBI.\n3. History of chronic major
depression\n4. Small vessel cerebrovascular disease\n5. Low cognitive reserve.
What percentage of people over 65 have AD? - Answers 5%\n \nOr, 5.4 million
At what rate does the prevalence of AD develop after age 65? - Answers It doubles every 4-5 years.
, What is the average age of diagnosis for Alzheimer disease? - Answers 75, with most being diagnosed in
the 70s
Are minorities more or less likely to get Alzheimer's disease? - Answers More likely.\n \nAfrican-
Americans are twice as likely and Latin Americans are about 1.5 times more likely
What percentage of AD patients have the family variant of the disease? - Answers 5%
How many people over age 85 meet criteria for AD? - Answers 25-50%
What percentage of all dementia patients have AD? - Answers 70%
What is the length of illness in AD? - Answers 5-15 years.
Does AD progress faster or slower with older age? - Answers Slower.\n \n(It's the opposite of PD, where
patients who are younger have a slower progression).
What is the difference between early AD and pseudodementia? - Answers AD patients downplay their
deficits; Pseudodementia patients complain a lot about their problems.\n \nAD patients have less
fluctuations in their battery.
What behavioral challenges can be seen in early AD? - Answers Social withdrawal\n \nLoss of interest\
n \nTrouble with sequencing and problem solving\n(usually at work or home environment)
How accurate is clinical diagnosis of AD based on a comprehensive evaluation? - Answers 85 to 90%
What does a comprehensive evaluation of AD include? - Answers MRI\nBlood work\nNeurologic Exam\
nNeuropsychological Exam
What are 4 common sensory and motor declines in normal aging? - Answers Hearing loss\n \nDecreased
visual acuity, scanning, and adaptation to the dark\n \nReduced odor sensitivity\n \nDecreased motor
speed, coordination, and strength
How do sleep patterns change in normal aging? - Answers Sleep is more fragmented with less at night
and naps during the day\n\nSleep earlier and get up earlier
Is reduced brain volume normal with aging? - Answers Yes.
What cognitive abilities are resistant to aging? - Answers 1. Vocabulary and verbal skills\n2. Simple
attention and concentration\n3. Basic math \n4. Recognition memory and remembering the gist of
information\n5. Remote memory
What cognitive abilities decline with aging? - Answers 1. Sustained attention\n2. Divided attention\n3.
Slower learning and acquisition\n4. Decreased cognitive flexibility
What percentage of patients in their 70s are diagnosed with MCI? 80s? - Answers 10%\n25%
