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 counselling
C)antipsychotic medications
D)rest and reassurance

Answer 1

preventive efforts such as patient counselling

Question 2

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

A)Jabulani (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)Vuzi (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.

Answer 2

Jabulani (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.

Question 3

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

A)major neurocognitive disorder.
B)delirium.
C)amnestic disorder.
D)intellectual disability.

Answer 3

major neurocognitive disorder.

Question 4

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 5

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 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

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.

Question 8

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 9

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 10

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 11

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 12

Mr Ntuli (age 72) is brought to the hospital emergency room.His son explains that his father woke up this morning and was 'not himself'.Mr Ntuli appears confused, agitated and a little frightened.He does not know his own name and cannot recognise his son.Mr Ntuli's son reports that his father had been completely fine with no symptoms prior to that morning.Mr Ntuli 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 13

Which of the following groups is likely to show delirium?

A)older adults
B)AIDS patients
C)cancer patients
D)all of these

Question 14

Cognitive disorders are often associated with changes in

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

Question 15

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

Question 16

The cause of most cognitive disorders is

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

Question 17

Traditionally, delirium, dementia and amnestic disorders were categorised as

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

Question 18

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 19

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 20

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

A)poison
B)drug use
C)infections
D)allergic reactions

Question 21

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

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

Question 22

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 analysing the __________ present in an individual's writing.

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

Question 23

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

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

Question 24

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 25

The inability to recognise objects is called _____________.

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

Question 26

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 27

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 28

Neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease is characterised 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 29

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 towards evening.
C)come and go during the course of the day.
D)peak around mid-day.

Question 30

The prevalence of major neurocognitive disorder in adults over the age of 65 is

A)around 0.5%.
B)less than 1%.
C)about 3%.
D)a little over 5%.

Question 31

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 32

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 33

At the age of 50, Delia has begun to be teased by her family for being 'absent-minded'.The truth is that Delia 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, she has been relying on a hand-drawn map to get home.She has started having trouble recognising the faces of people at work and frequently forgets why she started to do something.Delia appears to be developing

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

Question 34

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 35

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

A)Globally, one new case of major neurocognitive disorder is identified every 30 minutes.
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 five years of age after age 75.

Question 36

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 37

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 38

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 39

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

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

Question 40

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 41

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 42

All of the following are causes of neurocognitive disorder EXCEPT

A)HIV.
B)vitamin B12 deficiency.
C)pneumonia.
D)traumatic brain injury.

Question 43

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 44

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

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 46

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

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

Question 47

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 48

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 than 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, but the course and outcome are similar.

Question 49

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 50

Parkinson's disease is associated with

A)subcortical neurocognitive disorder.
B)delirium tremens.
C)delirium.
D)development of marche à petit pas.

Question 51

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 the initial stages of neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease.
D)the rapid onset of symptoms in neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease.

Question 52

Only some of the patients diagnosed with ______________ and _____________ go on to develop serious neurocognitive impairment.

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 53

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

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

Question 54

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 Europe, but equal for men and women in the rest of the world.

Question 55

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 56

The disorder that causes a form of neurocognitive disorder called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease may be linked to

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

Question 57

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 58

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 compared to Alzheimer's disease.
C)its cause is clear and not in need of research.
D)none of the above

Question 59

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

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

Question 60

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

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

Question 61

Which of the following are problems associated with the medications used to treat neurocognitive disorder?

A)Abilities only improve to the same point where they were six months prior to treatment.
B)Any gains in ability are temporary.
C)Many patients discontinue medication because of severe side effects and expense.
D)All of these are significant problems with the medications used to treat neurocognitive disorder.

Question 62

Some types of Down's syndrome predispose the individual to developing

A)chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
B)Parkinson's disease.
C)Alzheimer's disease.
D)vascular neurocognitive disorder.

Question 63

What is the primary goal of most psychosocial treatments for neurocognitive disorder?

A)relieve depression
B)enhance the lives of those with the disease, as well as their family members
C)treat the anxiety associated with knowing that the disorder is progressive
D)enhance family functioning

Question 64

If the findings from the study regarding the writings of a group of Catholic nuns (Snowden et al., 1996) are correct, which of the following individuals is most likely to eventually develop neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease?

A)Sipho, whose writing is very descriptive and a little bizarre.
B)Lindiwe, whose writing has many religious themes.
C)Mpho, whose writing is mostly about animals.
D)Vuzi, whose writing describes events in very brief terms.

Question 65

Which of the following environmental stressors appears to be a significant factor in the later development of neurocognitive disorder (including that caused by Alzheimer's disease)?

A)smoking
B)low blood pressure
C)repeated head trauma
D)exposure to high levels of aluminium

Question 66

Patients with neurocognitive disorder benefit from medications that work by

A)preventing the breakdown of acetylcholine.
B)enhancing the level of dopamine.
C)preventing the reuptake of serotonin.
D)unknown mechanisms.

Question 67

In DSM-IV-TR, the organic mental disorders were relabelled as cognitive disorders because

A)almost all disorders involve brain dysfunction.
B)delirium and dementia involve cognitive symptoms while the other disorders do not.
C)delirium and dementia occur primarily in the very young.
D)both a and b

Question 68

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 69

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.

Question 70

The risk for developing neurocognitive disorder is influenced by all of the following psychological or social factors EXCEPT

A)cigarette smoking.
B)participation in sports such as boxing.
C)personality traits such as extroversion.
D)level of formal education.

Question 71

What is the main reason we do NOT have an effective treatment for neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease?

A)The disorder affects the elderly who generally have many other health problems.
B)We do not have a way to replace extensive brain damage.
C)The amount of treatment research is considerably less for neurocognitive disorder than for other disorders.
D)The cause is genetic.

Question 72

Appropriate treatment goals for a patient recently diagnosed with neurocognitive disorder include all of the following EXCEPT

A)reverse the neurological damage already done.
B)improve lifestyle to prevent further neurological damage.
C)reduce the current rate of decline.
D)learn strategies to compensate for existing limitations.

Question 73

The condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which used to be called dementia pugilistica, is diagnosed in

A)baseball players.
B)boxers.
C)bowlers.
D)basketball players.

Question 74

Of the following, which is NOT one of the potential consequences associated with caregiving for patients with neurocognitive disorder?

A)anxiety
B)depression
C)contagion
D)elder abuse

Question 75

During the late stages of neurocognitive disorder, the _____________ probably experiences the greatest need for psychosocial treatment.

A)caregiver
B)patient
C)family
D)healthcare provider

Question 76

Genetic research suggests that Alzheimer's disease is linked to

A)Down's 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 77

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 aluminium.

Question 78

What is the typical response to medication that can be expected for a patient with neurocognitive disorder due?

A)about one year without symptoms
B)doubling of life expectancy
C)temporary improvement in abilities
D)relief of physical but not cognitive symptoms

Question 79

Johannes was recently diagnosed with neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease.After researching his treatment options, he decides to try medication and attempt to make the most of his remaining abilities.Johannes plans to stay as physically and mentally active as possible for as long as he can and to use compensation strategies if necessary.His decision

A)makes little sense as there are more aggressive biological treatments that are effective.
B)seems reasonable given the fact that there are no effective treatments available.
C)ignores the additional demands that his decision will ultimately place on his caregivers.
D)makes little sense since intensive psychosocial intervention has been shown to be effective.

Question 80

Psychological and social influences involved in neurocognitive disorder

A)help determine the onset and course.
B)are direct causes.
C)have no influence.
D)have not been studied.