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Pick’s disease
• 25 times rarer than Alzheimer’s dementia
• Frontal lobe clinical features
• Assymetrical frontal or temporal atrophy
• Has been connected with semantic
dementia, but evidence is not conclusive yet
Case history: Pick's Disease
This 59 year old woman had a three year history of a
progressive alteration in social behavior which included
apathy and occasional disinhibition. Images reveal severe
focal shrinkage of temporal and frontal lobes bilaterally.
Degeneration of the basal ganglia
• Huntington’s disease
– Rare: 5 in 100,000
– abnormal ‘exaggerated movements
• Parkinson's disease
– Common: 1 in 100 over age 65
– General slowing of voluntary movements
• Both diseases involve the basal ganglia, but in
large opposite ways
Basal ganglia
• Caudate
• Putamen Striatum
• Globus pallidus
• Subthalamic nuclei
• Substantia nigra
Multi-infarct dementia (MID)
• Many small strokes
• Often mixed with Alzheimer’s dementia
Viral dementia: HIV
• 20-60% of HIV patients suffers from
dementia
• Cerebral atrophy may be caused by
microglial nodules
Vocational Rehabilitation and
Dementia
• Can dementia occur while an individual is
employed?
• Is dementia covered under the American’s with
Disabilities Act?
• Can jobs and tasks be modified to assist
individuals with mild forms of dementia?
• Can job discrimination occur for these
individuals?
• What types of job modifications and/or assistive
technology can you think of for an individual with
dementia?
End-stage Dementia
Prognosis < 6 mos:
• Severe dementia with need for total assistance in
ADLs (dressing, bathing, continence), unable to walk,
only able to speak a few words
• Comorbid conditions – aspiration pneumonia,
urosepsis, decubiti, sepsis
• *Unable to maintain caloric intake with weight loss of
10% or more in 6 months (and no feeding tubes)
Complications from dementia
• Delusions in up to 50%, most with paranoia
• Hallucinations in up to 25%
• Depression, social isolation may also occur
• Aggressive behavior in 20-40% (may be related to
above problems, misinterpretation)
• Dangerous behavior – driving, creating fires, getting
lost, unsafe use of firearms, neglect
• Sundowning – nocturnal episodes of confusion with
agitation, restlessness
Treatment of complications
• Hallucinations, delusions, agitation, sun-downing may be improved
with anti-psychotics like haloperidol, risperdal, mellaril…
• If any signs of depression, may be beneficial to treat
• Anxiety may respond to benzodiazepines
• Behavioral mod – reinforce good behavior, DON’T fight
aggressive behavior
• Familiarity (change in environments make things worse)
• Safety – key locks, knobs off stoves, take away car
keys/cigarettes/firearms…, lights, watch stairs
• Avoid restraints, use human contact/music/pets/
distraction
Artificial Nutrition in Dementia
• Many excellent reviews demonstrate no
improvement in quality of life and quantity
of life with G-tubes.
• 5% morbidity and mortality with the
procedure itself
• No decrease in aspiration with them
• Risk of infection
• Can keep patient comfortable without it
Complications from dementia
• Delusions in up to 50%, most with paranoia
• Hallucinations in up to 25%
• Depression, social isolation may also occur
• Aggressive behavior in 20-40% (may be related to
above problems, misinterpretation)
• Dangerous behavior – driving, creating fires, getting
lost, unsafe use of firearms, neglect
• Sundowning – nocturnal episodes of confusion with
agitation, restlessness
Drug treatment in Alzheimer’s
disease
• Many drugs aim to stimulate the cholinergic
system
• These drugs have limited positive effects
and do not reverse the causes of AD
Dementia patients are very
sensitive to additional disabilities
• Illness
• Pain
• Medications
• Poor hearing
• Poor vision
Management of depression at end
of life
• Psychotherapy – behavioral, cognitive, and other
supportive approaches by psychologists, licensed
social workers, chaplains, even bereavement
counselors may help
• New coping strategies like meditation, relaxation,
guided imagery, hypnosis may help
• Medications
Suicide
• Women attempt it twice as much, but men are 4x more likely to
succeed
• White men over 85 are at highest risk to do it
• All patients with depressive symptoms should be assessed for it
• Talking about it can decrease risks
• High risk of attempt if thoughts are recurring or if have thought
out the plan
ONE OTHER POTENTIAL EMERGENCY:
• If risk high – DON’T leave client alone, immediately consult a
psychiatrist – may need in-patient care or involvement of
authorities
Anxiety
• May be a normal response to the situation – fears,
uncertainty, reaction to physical condition, social
or spiritual needs
• Usually with 1 or more of the following signs –
agitation, restless, sweating, tachycardia,
hyperventilation, insomnia, excessive worry,
tension
• Look for signs of depression, delirium,
alcohol/drug abuse, caffeine abuse
• About 5% are affected by agoraphobia
Related anxiety conditions
• Panic attacks – acute onset of palpitations,
sweating, hot, shaking, chest pain, nausea, dizzy,
derealization, fear, numbness; usually short lived
• Phobias – fears with avoidance, feelings of being
trapped, exposed
• Post-traumatic Stress Syndrome – in response to
severe trauma, get more intense fear, terror,
dreams, feelings of helplessness, detachment that
can occur later on
Other EOL care needs for dementia
• In bedbound, watch out for and prevent decubiti
• Feeding instructions to prevent aspiration – head
up, chin tucked, thick consistency foods like
pudding/jello/ice cream…
• Caregiver stress – difficult care, poor sleep,
education to prevent aggressive behavior, early
bereavement losing loved one before they are
gone, need for support/respite
Summary
• A change in mental or emotional status of the
patient is not uncommon with a life-threatening
illness
• Need to be aware of conditions that may be
normal reactions or have causes that are
potentially reversible, but at the end of life, may
need to focus on acute management of these
conditions
• Need compassionate, supportive care for patient
and caregiver, always addressing safety
Links
• Alzheimer’s Association: http://www.alz.org/
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and
Stroke’s page on dementia:
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/dementias/dementia.htm
• How to manage difficult behaviors from the
Association for Frontotemporal Disorders:
http://www.ftd-picks.org/?p=caregiver.managing