CSS CSS Memory Care & Cognitive Decline 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What are the three core domains affected in Alzheimer's disease?
- Vision, hearing, and mobility
- Memory, language, and executive function (Correct answer)
- Balance, strength, and coordination
- Sleep, appetite, and mood only
Correct answer: Memory, language, and executive function
Alzheimer's disease primarily impairs memory (especially recent memory), language and communication, and executive functions like planning and judgment.
Question 2: Which validated screening tool is widely used to detect cognitive impairment in clinical settings?
- Barthel Index
- Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) (Correct answer)
- Geriatric Depression Scale
- Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index
Correct answer: Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)
The MMSE is a 30-point questionnaire testing orientation, registration, attention, recall, language, and visuospatial ability to screen for cognitive impairment.
Question 3: What distinguishes Lewy body dementia from Alzheimer's disease?
- Lewy body dementia only affects mobility
- Lewy body dementia features visual hallucinations, fluctuating cognition, and Parkinsonian motor symptoms (Correct answer)
- Lewy body dementia does not affect memory
- Lewy body dementia is curable with medication
Correct answer: Lewy body dementia features visual hallucinations, fluctuating cognition, and Parkinsonian motor symptoms
Lewy body dementia is characterized by visual hallucinations, fluctuating cognitive function, REM sleep behavior disorder, and Parkinsonian features like tremor.
Question 4: What is 'validation therapy' in dementia care?
- Correcting a patient's mistaken beliefs with facts
- Acknowledging and empathizing with the feelings behind a dementia patient's communications (Correct answer)
- Validating cognitive test scores before medication
- A legal process for determining mental capacity
Correct answer: Acknowledging and empathizing with the feelings behind a dementia patient's communications
Validation therapy, developed by Naomi Feil, focuses on empathizing with the emotional content of a person with dementia's communication rather than correcting factual errors.
Question 5: Which non-pharmacological intervention is considered first-line for managing agitation in dementia?
- Antipsychotic medication
- Environmental modifications and sensory-based activities (Correct answer)
- Physical restraints
- Sedative-hypnotic drugs
Correct answer: Environmental modifications and sensory-based activities
Non-pharmacological approaches including environmental modifications, structured activities, music, and caregiver communication techniques are recommended as first-line treatment for dementia-related agitation.
Question 6: What does the '10 Early Signs of Alzheimer's' by the Alzheimer's Association include as the most common first sign?
- Difficulty walking
- Memory loss that disrupts daily life (Correct answer)
- Vision changes
- Personality shifts
Correct answer: Memory loss that disrupts daily life
The Alzheimer's Association identifies memory loss that disrupts daily life—especially forgetting recently learned information—as the most common early sign of Alzheimer's.
CSS CSS Memory Care & Cognitive Decline 1
What are the three core domains affected in Alzheimer's disease?