| A | B |
|---|
| Cogntion | State of awareness |
| Causes of altered cognition | Hypoglycemia; drug/alcohol overdose; infection; vascular dementia; respiratory failure; medication; traumatic brain injury; tumors; psychological trauma |
| Brain death is.. | Cessation of brain function; absence of brain stem reflexes or responses; absence of spontaneous respirations; establishment of certainty of irreversible brain damage |
| Glasgow coma scale (GCS) criteria | Eye opening; verbal response; motor response |
| Highest GCS score | 15 (spontaneous eye opening; oriented; obeys commands for movement) |
| Signs and symptoms of altered cognition | loss of alertness; lethargic; confused; disoriented; A&O changes; memory loss; loss of consciousness; unable to do simple functions; poor emotional regulation |
| Factors that impact congition | Age; environment; substance use; toxin exposure; trauma |
| Dementia | A syndrome characterized by decline in cognitive ability that exceeds what is expected with aging |
| Dementia Risk Factors | AGE (#1); family history/genetics; race/ethnicity; socioeconomic factors; high BP; smoking and alcohol; sedentary lifestyle; TBI; environment |
| Alzheimers | Abnormal buildup of proteins called amyloid plaques and tau tangles |
| Frontotemporal | Abnormal amounts of Tau and TDP-43 proteins; occurs in people less than 60yrs old |
| Lewy Body | Abnormal deposits of alpha-synuclein proteins called Lewy Bodies |
| Vascular | Caused by conditions that damage blood vessels in brain or interrupt flow of blood & oxygen to brain |
| Dementia symptoms | Memory loss; poor judgment; confusion; difficulty speaking or understanding; wandering; repeating questions; using unusual words; taking longer for ADLs; impulsive behavior; losing balance; forgetting family names; apathy |
| Mild cognitive decline | difficulties at work; anxiety; family starts to notice |
| Mild-moderate cognitive decline | difficulty counting; travel difficulties; cannot manage their affairs |
| Moderate cognitive decline | needs assistance getting dressed and other daily activities |
| Moderate-severe cognitive decline | requires considerable assistance for daily activities; forgetting family member names; incontinence; disorientation; needs help eating |
| Severe cognitive decline | impacts an individuals ability to communicate; requires assistance with almost all activties |
| Dementia Primary Prevention | Avoid tobacco; maintain healthy weight; exercise; puzzles; reading; stay social |
