Major Neurocognitive Disorder Overview

Dementia Overview

Vanessa Cardy, MD, and Heidi James, MD

Background

• Dementia is now known as major neurocognitive disorder
• Acquired process of impairment in ≥1 cognitive domains
  • Memory
  • Aphasia
  • Agnosia
  • Apraxia
  • Executive function
• Causes of confusion in elderly = mnemonic DEMENTIA
  • Drugs
  • Eyes/Ears
  • Metabolic
  • Emotional
  • Neoplasm/neurologic
  • Trauma
  • Infection/inflammatory
  • Anemia/atherosclerotic disease/Alzheimer’s (dementia)
• Don’t forget that depression can mimic dementia

Clinical Findings

• Rule out organic causes
  • Labs
  • Brain imaging

Management

• See individual topics