Deck 15: Neurocognitive Disorders

Question 1

What is MOST successful in assisting people who are susceptible to delirium?

A) Psychosocial approach
B) Preventive efforts such as patient counseling
C) Antipsychotic medications
D) Rest and reassurance

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Typical psychosocial intervention for a patient with delirium includes

A) restraining the patient to prevent self-harm.
B) placing the person in a new environment.
C) reassurance and surrounding with familiar belongings.
D) excluding the patient from any medical decision to avoid increased anxiety.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Substance-induced delirium is a major problem for the elderly because

A) they are more likely to take prescription medications than other age groups.
B) their bodies are less able to process and eliminate drugs.
C) improper use of medication is likely to have serious side effects.
D) all of the above

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Delirium brought on by withdrawal from alcohol or other drugs is generally treated with

A) rest and reassurance.
B) antipsychotic medication.
C) antidepressant medication.
D) restraining the patient until the withdrawal symptoms are over.

Question 5

Impaired consciousness and cognition during the course of several hours or days defines .

A) delirium
B) neurocognitive disorder
C) Alzheimer's disease
D) Pick's disease

Question 6

Delirium is generally treated with .

A) antibiotic medication
B) benzodiazepine medication
C) antidepressant medication
D) a treatment based on the specific cause of the delirium

Question 7

The cause of most cognitive disorders is .

A) the normal process of aging
B) brain dysfunction
C) alcohol/substances
D) medication side effects

Question 8

Cognitive disorders are often associated with changes in .

A) behavior and personality
B) anxiety and depression
C) levels of paranoia
D) all of the above

Question 9

Which of the following groups is likely to show delirium?

A) Older adults
B) AIDS patients
C) Cancer patients
D) All of these

Question 10

Which of the following individuals is MOST likely to develop delirium?

A) Joe (age 76) takes multiple medications for various medical conditions. Two new medications have just been prescribed for him, and he has already made a mistake taking the first dose.
B) Jean (age 89) is in good physical and mental health. This morning, she has a little bit of a head cold, but has not yet taken any medication for it.
C) Mark (age 12) woke up with a low-grade fever from the viral infection that has been going around his class this past week.
D) Sarah (age 40) was in a minor car accident but claims to feel fine.

Question 11

The symptoms of delirium tend to develop

A) very slowly, over the course of several years.
B) very quickly, over the course of a few hours to a few days.
C) moderately slowly, over the course of several months.
D) either very quickly or very slowly, depending on the cause.

Question 12

From the following choices, the age group most likely to use prescription medications is .

A) infants and young children
B) children and adolescents
C) middle-aged adults
D) older adults

Question 13

The symptoms of delirium tend to subside

A) very slowly, over the course of several years.
B) relatively quickly.
C) moderately slowly, over the course of several months.
D) very slowly, if they ever subside at all.

Question 14

Among the elderly, delirium

A) occurs because drugs are eliminated from their system quickly.
B) accounts for a significant number of falls that cause hip fractures.
C) is rarely caused by improper medication use.
D) is easily attributed to a limited number of causes.

Question 15

The conditions that are now called neurocognitive disorders typically cause impairment in all of the following primary abilities EXCEPT .

A) memory
B) perception
C) dreaming
D) attention

Question 16

The term "organic mental disorders" is no longer used to describe cognitive disorders because

A) there is nothing "organic" about these disorders.
B) cognitive disorders are actually thought disorders.
C) the term implies that there is no effective treatment.
D) most psychological disorders have an "organic" component.

Question 17

The three categories of neurocognitive disorders are

A) delirium, chromosomal disorders, and amnestic disorders.
B) delirium, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease.
C) Alzheimer's, delirium, and Parkinson's disease.
D) major neurocognitive disorders, mild neurocognitive disorders, and delirium.

Question 18

Mr. Smith (age 72) is brought to the hospital emergency room. His son explains that his father woke up this morning and was "not himself." Mr. Smith appears confused, agitated, and a bit frightened. He does not know his own name and cannot recognize his son. Mr. Smith's son reports that his father had been completely fine with no symptoms prior to that morning. Mr. Smith appears to be suffering from .

A) neurocognitive disorder due to Lewy Body disease
B) neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease
C) delirium
D) amnestic disorder

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT a typical cause of delirium?

A) Poison
B) Drug use
C) Infections
D) Allergic reactions

Question 20

Traditionally, delirium, dementia, and amnestic disorders were categorized as

A) resulting from complications of birth.
B) part of the normal aging process.
C) organic and then cognitive disorders.
D) as temporary conditions.

Question 21

At the age of 50, Debra has begun to receive quite a bit of teasing from her family about being "absentminded." The truth is that Debra has been hiding the fact that each week she seems to remember less and less. For the last month, she has been getting lost while driving home from work. Lately, Debra has been relying on a hand-drawn map to get home. She has started having trouble recognizing the faces of people at work and frequently forgets why she started to do something. Debra appears to be developing .

A) delirium
B) amnestic disorder
C) neurocognitive disorder
D) medically induced dementia

Question 22

People with neurocognitive disorder sometimes suffer from agnosia, which is defined as the inability to _________.

A) use language
B) understand language
C) recognize and name objects
D) remember events and places

Question 23

The definitive diagnosis of neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease can currently be made based on solely on _.

A) cognitive testing
B) brain scans
C) autopsy results
D) behavioral analysis

Question 24

All of the following are possible causes of dementia EXCEPT .

A) Alzheimer's disease
B) drugs and alcohol
C) infection or depression
D) food additives and preservatives

Question 25

When a person has major neurocognitive disorder, he or she may also experience delusions, depression, agitation, aggression, and/or apathy, all of which are due to

A) progressive deterioration of brain functioning.
B) frustration experienced by these patients as they lose their cognitive abilities.
C) neither of these
D) both of these

Question 26

Which of the following is used for a definitive diagnosis of neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease?

A) Psychological testing
B) A mental status exam
C) Reported observations of the patient by family members
D) None of the above

Question 27

Which of the following statements about major neurocognitive disorder is FALSE?

A) Globally, one new case of major neurocognitive disorder is identified every 30 seconds.
B) Worldwide, the cost of major neurocognitive disorder is about $315 billion per year.
C) Nearly half of the cases of major neurocognitive disorder are of the Alzheimer's type.
D) The rate of new cases doubles with every 5 years of age after age 75.

Question 28

The most common cause of major neurocognitive disorder is .

A) a history of substance abuse
B) Alzheimer's disease
C) improper use of prescription drugs
D) syphilis

Question 29

The prevalence of major neurocognitive disorder in adults between the ages of 65 and 74 is .

A) around .5%
B) less than 1%
C) hovering at 3%
D) a little more than 5%

Question 30

In the United States alone, the cost of caring for patients with Alzheimer's type major neurocognitive disorder is estimated to be about .

A) $100 thousand
B) $100 million
C) $100 billion
D) $100 trillion

Question 31

One major difference that is useful in the diagnosis of major neurocognitive disorder or delirium is that

A) major neurocognitive disorder symptoms develop slowly over time, and delirium symptoms develop quickly.
B) major neurocognitive disorder symptoms are usually associated with underlying medical conditions, and delirium is usually the result of other factors.
C) the initial symptoms of major neurocognitive disorder are generally more severe than the symptoms of delirium.
D) the symptoms of major neurocognitive disorder involve memory, but the symptoms of delirium are more likely to involve expressive language.

Question 32

Neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease is characterized by

A) multiple cognitive deficits that progress over time.
B) a few severe cognitive deficits that develop gradually and steadily.
C) multiple cognitive deficits that develop quickly.
D) a few severe cognitive deficits that develop quickly.

Question 33

Which of the following is TRUE of major neurocognitive disorder?

A) The number of new cases per year is decreasing.
B) More men than women have major neurocognitive disorder.
C) The financial costs of major neurocognitive disorder are decreasing.
D) Major neurocognitive disorder rates are increasing as people live longer.

Question 34

How is neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease usually diagnosed?

A) MRI findings
B) Brain biopsy
C) Functional brain scan
D) Simplified mental status exam

Question 35

All of the following are types of neurocognitive disorder EXCEPT

A) vascular neurocognitive disorder.
B) substance/medication-induced neurocognitive disorder.
C) neurocognitive disorder due to mononucleosis.
D) neurocognitive disorder due to prion disease.

Question 36

The gradual deterioration of brain functioning that affects judgment, memory, language, and other cognitive processes is called _.

A) major neurocognitive disorder
B) delirium
C) amnestic disorder
D) mental retardation

Question 37

The inability to recognize objects is called .

A) agnosia
B) alexia
C) anhedonia
D) apraxia

Question 38

In the advanced stages of neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease, a phenomenon called "sundowner syndrome" occurs in which cognitive disturbances tend to

A) improve as the day goes on.
B) become worse toward evening.
C) come and go during the course of the day.
D) peak around mid-day.

Question 39

The prevalence of major neurocognitive disorder in adults over the age of 85 is .

A) 1% to 5%
B) 10% to 15%
C) 20% to 40%
D) more than 50%

Question 40

One of the major differences between major neurocognitive disorder caused by Alzheimer's disease and major neurocognitive disorder caused by depression is that Alzheimer's type major neurocognitive disorder

A) is generally reversible.
B) is not reversible.
C) involves a slow increase in symptoms.
D) leads to a rapid decline in abilities.

Question 41

Research suggests that Alzheimer's disease accounts for about of the cases of neurocognitive disorder.

A) 15%
B) 25%
C) 50%
D) 75%

Question 42

A key difference between vascular neurocognitive disorder and Alzheimer's disease is/are .

A) rate of onset
B) prevalence
C) gender distribution
D) all of the above

Question 43

Higher levels of education are associated with

A) the prevention of neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease.
B) a delay in the onset of symptoms of neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease.
C) a slow course of deterioration after neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease first starts.
D) the rapid onset of symptoms in neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease.

Question 44

One hypothesis to explain the observed differences in the rate of neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease for individuals of varying educational level is that

A) the abilities acquired through formal education create a "mental reserve" that helps offset the symptoms of the illness as they progress.
B) the type of mental activity associated with formal education places an additional burden on the brain that makes symptoms worse once a person has the disorder.
C) knowledge acquired through formal education helps one avoid exposure to environmental stimuli that might influence the disorder.
D) the type of work that most college graduates pursue is less likely to expose the individual to the stressors associated with the disorder.

Question 45

Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding the different types of neurocognitive disorder?

A) All forms of neurocognitive disorder have the same onset, symptoms, and course.
B) Vascular neurocognitive disorder has a more rapid, onset and patients suffer a much more rapid demise that with the other forms of neurocognitive disorder.
C) Vascular neurocognitive disorder has a more rapid onset and results in fewer deficits than neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease.
D) Vascular neurocognitive disorder has a more rapid onset than neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease, although the course and outcome are similar.

Question 46

Although the sample size is small, the results of a study that looked at the writings of a group of Catholic nuns (Snowden et al., 1996), suggest that the development of neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease might be predicted in early life by analyzing the present in an individual's writing.

A) errors
B) word usage
C) idea density
D) emotional tone

Question 47

Symptoms of neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease typically appear during the .

A) 40s and 50s
B) 50s and 60s
C) 60s and 70s
D) 70s and 80s

Question 48

Why are the symptoms of vascular neurocognitive disorder so different in each patient?

A) It is not known why patients with vascular neurocognitive disorder have different symptoms.
B) The symptoms relate to the area of the brain damaged.
C) The symptoms depend upon the person's other medical conditions.
D) Patients tend to be elderly and easily confused.

Question 49

What is the approximate average survival time of a patient diagnosed with neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease?

A) 4 years
B) 8 years
C) 15 years
D) 20 years

Question 50

In regard to neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease, the biological "cognitive reserve" hypothesis suggests that

A) skills acquired through formal education can actually enhance the early symptoms of the illness.
B) the more synapses one develops throughout life, the more neuronal death required before the person becomes impaired.
C) individuals with neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease never had reserve neurons.
D) neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease is caused by a lack of formal education.

Question 51

Which of the following statements is TRUE with regard to the rate of neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease for different demographic groups?

A) Males and certain racial groups appear to have lower rates of the disorder.
B) No differences are found in the rate of neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease by gender, but some racial differences have been noted.
C) No differences are found in the rate of neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease by race, but women appear to have a higher rate of the disorder than men.
D) No differences in the rate of the disorder by race or gender have been noted.

Question 52

The risk of developing vascular neurocognitive disorder is

A) greater for women than men.
B) greater for men than women.
C) equal for men and women.
D) greater for men in Western cultures, but equal for men and women in other cultures.

Question 53

There are fewer studies on vascular neurocognitive disorder because

A) it is less serious than neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease
B) of its lower incidence rates as compared to Alzheimer's disease.
C) its cause is clear and not in need of research.
D) none of the above

Question 54

Which of the following individuals has the greatest risk of developing neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease?

A) Paul, who is wealthy and well educated.
B) Rena, who completed college although she has an average IQ.
C) Jason, who is extremely bright but never finished college.
D) Carrie, who dropped out of school when she was very young.

Question 55

Which of the following statements is TRUE about vascular neurocognitive disorder?

A) The prevalence rate is 25% for those over age 80.
B) The risk for women is slightly higher than men.
C) The outcome is similar to that of neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease.
D) The onset is about the same as for neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease.

Question 56

What is the biological version of the theory that states that formal education helps insulate people from the effects of neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease?

A) Mind-body hypothesis
B) Neuronal network theory
C) Cognitive reserve hypothesis
D) Cortical activity theory

Question 57

The progression of cognitive deterioration in neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease is

A) slow during early stages and late stages, and rapid during middle stages.
B) rapid during early and late stages, and slow during middle stages.
C) slow and progressive throughout the individual's life.
D) slow in the early stages and rapid during late stages.

Question 58

The progress of cognitive deterioration in Alzheimer's disease is most rapid during the

A) early
B) middle
C) late
D) advanced

Question 59

The theory that the more synapses a person develops, the more neurons must die before the signs of neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease are apparent is called the .

A) cognitive reserve hypothesis
B) synaptic deterioration hypothesis
C) oversight theory
D) genetic hypothesis

Question 60

According to the most recent research, which of the following statements is TRUE concerning ethnic background and the development of neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease?

A) Japanese, Nigerian, and Amish individuals have lower prevalence of the disorder.
B) The illness is found in roughly the same numbers across all ethnic groups.
C) Educated European ethnic groups have a lower rate of getting the disease.
D) Native Americans have a slightly higher rate of the disorder.

Question 61

Research into the causes of neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease indicates the influence of

A) multiple genes.
B) a single gene.
C) environmental toxins.
D) high levels of aluminum.

Question 62

The symptoms of substance/medication-induced neurocognitive disorder are most similar to the symptoms observed in _.

A) vascular neurocognitive disorder
B) neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease
C) Huntington's disease
D) HIV-induced neurocognitive disorder

Question 63

Neurocognitive disorder caused by HIV appears to be due to .

A) the HIV infection itself
B) side effects of medications used to treat HIV
C) opportunistic infections that occur in HIV patients
D) chemical imbalances in the brain

Question 64

The neurocognitive disorder experienced by HIV patients primarily affects areas of the brain in the .

A) meninges
B) hindbrain
C) inner areas of the brain
D) brain stem

Question 65

Genetic research suggests that Alzheimer's disease is linked to

A) Down syndrome through chromosome 21.
B) Parkinson's Disease through a single gene.
C) depression through chromosome 12.
D) Huntington's disease due to a genetic mutation.

Question 66

The neurofibrillary tangles associated with neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease are best described as

A) tangled, strand-like filaments in brain cells.
B) tangled, strand-like filaments throughout the nervous system.
C) gummy protein deposits in the cortex.
D) gummy protein deposits throughout the nervous system.

Question 67

The introduction of new medications for AIDS (e.g., HAARTs) has the percentage of patients who develop neurocognitive disorder.

A) increased
B) decreased
C) eliminated
D) had no effect on

Question 68

The disorder that causes a form of neurocognitive disorder called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is a variant of

A) Huntington's disease.
B) Pick's disease.
C) neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disorder.
D) bovine spongiform encephalopathy ("mad cow disease").

Question 69

The symptoms of substance/medication-induced neurocognitive disorder are generally associated with

A) toxic effects of the substances.
B) temporary impairment in brain functioning.
C) permanent brain damage.
D) poor diet and self-care behaviors.

Question 70

Compared to most disorders, Huntington's disease is very unusual because it is

A) the result of one gene.
B) influenced by many genes.
C) always a cause of neurocognitive disorder.
D) associated with subcortical impairment.

Question 71

Parkinson's disease is associated with .

A) subcortical neurocognitive disorder
B) delirium tremens
C) delirium
D) development of a Trendelenburg gait

Question 72

Which disorder is associated with the formation of neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaques in the brain?

A) Huntington's disease
B) Pick's disease
C) neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease
D) Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

Question 73

The amyloid plaques that accumulate in the brain of patients with neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease are best described as

A) tangled, strand-like filaments.
B) gummy protein deposits.
C) plaques of dead nerve cells.
D) mineral deposits.

Question 74

If Jane's neurocognitive disorder is caused by a process that has damaged her brain's dopamine pathways, it can be assumed that this condition is caused by ..

A) head trauma
B) Parkinson's disease
C) Huntington's disease
D) neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease

Question 75

All of the following are causes of neurocognitive disorder EXCEPT .

A) HIV
B) vitamin B12 deficiency
C) pneumonia
D) chronic traumatic encephalopathy

Question 76

The late onset form of Alzheimer's disease is related to chromosome .

A) 21
B) 14
C) 19
D) 12

Question 77

Neurocognitive disorder due to HIV is more likely to cause than neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease.

A) death
B) short-term memory loss
C) long-term memory loss
D) severe depression

Question 78

Only some of the patients diagnosed with and go on to develop neurocognitive disorder.

A) Alzheimer's; Huntington's disease
B) Pick's disease; Huntington's disease
C) Huntington's disease; Parkinson's disease
D) Parkinson's disease; Pick's disease

Question 79

The differing patterns of impairment associated with neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease and neurocognitive disorder due to HIV are primarily attributable to

A) the different areas of the brain affected.
B) the immune response to the virus in HIV patients.
C) psychosocial differences in the lives of the typical patients with each disorder.
D) unexplained causes.

Question 80

The research finding of a negative correlation between smoking and neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease is generally interpreted to mean that

A) research findings are sometimes in error.
B) nicotine protects against neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease for most people.
C) smoking may be helpful in protecting people at high risk for Alzheimer's disease.
D) smoking may shorten the lives of smokers so they do not live long enough to develop neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease.