PSYC 353 Lecture Notes - Apraxia, Dysphoria, Head Injury
Document Summary
Chapter 11: cognitive disorders and life span issues. Trouble controlling impulses and poorer judgment (shop lifting) Progression includes profound memory loss and disorientation (forget who/ where they are) Further progression to violence and experience of hallucinations and delusions. Vascular disease- blood vessels in brain create stroke (instance of blockage of vascular system in brain) Medications: cholinesterase inhibitors (reduce breakdown of memory), other drugs regulate the activity of glutamate, antidepressants/ antianxiety. Reducing risk factors for stroke and vascular disease. Mental/ intellectual activity- nuns study- had previous study of mental activity and those with higher activity early on did not exhibit as much memory loss later (looked at dendrites) Disorientation, memory loss, clouding of consciousness: symptoms arise suddenly and will fluctuate over course of a day, periods of clarity and confusion, difficulty focusing or shifting attention. More important to treat specific underlying symptoms of delirium. Only memory is affected: anterograde amnesia, retrograde amnesia. Impaired in ability to learn new information.