NEUR 1201 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Extrapyramidal System, Dopaminergic, Caudate Nucleus
13 Apr 2017
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Document Summary
A gradual decline in cognitive abilities is typical of the aging process, and not necessarily a concern in and of itself. However, a decline in mental functioning that is more rapid than expected, or begins early in life is cause for concern. An age-related cognitive decline that reaches a pathological level is called dementia. There are many varieties of dementia, each of which have different biological causes, symptoms, and treatment options. We will focus on two disorders in this category: alzheimer"s disease and. Georgina will also briefly lecture on stroke (common amongst the elderly) An acquired and persistent syndrome of intellectual impairment. Common symptoms: confusion, forgetfulness, agitation, sleep disturbances, suspicious of people. Essential features include (a) memory and other cognitive deficits, and (b) impairment in social and occupational functioning. Nondegenerative dementias are a heterogeneous group of disorders with diverse etiologies (see table in next slide) Degenerative dementias are presumed to have a degree of genetic transmission.
