Question 1

When a closed-head injury occurs, ________

Accepted Answer

In a closed-head injury, the damage results from the brain colliding with the skull. This can occur due to a blow to the head or sudden deceleration, causing the brain to move within the skull and potentially causing injury. The damage can be localized or diffuse, depending on the nature of the injury. Post-trauma epilepsy is a potential complication, but not necessarily common. Bruising of the skull may occur, but it is not the primary cause of the injury.

Question 2

The effects of head trauma on memory suggest that ________

Accepted Answer

Head trauma can interrupt the process of memory consolidation, affecting both short-term and long-term memory. Semantic memory (knowledge and concepts) can also be affected by head trauma, especially with more severe injuries that result in loss of consciousness. Episodic memory (specific events and experiences) can also be impacted by head trauma.

Question 3

Brain damage is the root cause of Neurocognitive Disorder Characterized by Profound Memory Impairment except in the case of ________, which is sometimes reversible with vitamin therapy.

Accepted Answer

Korsakoff's syndrome is caused by a deficiency in thiamine (vitamin B1), often due to chronic alcohol abuse, and can be treated with vitamin therapy. Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, and AIDS-related dementia are all caused by brain damage and do not have a known cure or reversal method.

Question 4

After the car accident, Sherry was unable to remember what happened from the time of the crash until the following morning. Sherry appears to have experienced ________

Accepted Answer

The answer of After the car accident, Sherry was unable...

Question 5

What is affected in amnestic disorder?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is affected in amnestic disorder?
...

Question 6

After being hit on the head, Bob experienced some retrograde amnesia. Those who were there knew this because he ________

Accepted Answer

Retrograde amnesia is the loss of memories that occurred before an injury or trauma. Therefore, Bob would not remember what had happened to him, and this is the only option that reflects this symptom.

Question 7

Vascular dementia ________

Accepted Answer

Vascular dementia is caused by multiple small strokes that damage blood vessels in the brain. It is not the same as Alzheimer's disease and does not respond to the same treatments. It does not necessarily affect more women than men.

Question 8

How does vascular dementia differ from Alzheimer's disease?

Accepted Answer

Vascular dementia often presents with mood disorders such as depression, which are more common compared to Alzheimer's disease.

Question 9

The occurrence of which of the following after a head injury suggests a poor prognosis?

Accepted Answer

Anterograde amnesia, or the inability to form new memories after the injury, suggests damage to areas of the brain involved in learning and memory processing, which can lead to long-term cognitive deficits and poorer outcomes.

Question 10

The damage that might be caused to the brain by riding a violently fast roller coaster is consistent with ________

Accepted Answer

Riding a violently fast roller coaster could cause sudden and forceful movements of the head and neck, which could result in a closed-head injury. This type of injury occurs when there is damage to the brain but without any visible damage to the skull.

Question 11

What neurocognitive disorder is frequently confused with Alzheimer's disease?

Accepted Answer

Vascular dementia is often confused with Alzheimer's disease because they share similar symptoms such as memory loss, confusion, and difficulty with daily tasks. Vascular dementia is caused by reduced blood flow to the brain due to damaged blood vessels, whereas Alzheimer's disease is caused by the buildup of protein plaques and tangles in the brain. Other neurocognitive disorders, such as AIDS-related dementia and amnestic disorder, have different causes and symptoms than Alzheimer's disease. Multi-infarct dementia is a type of vascular dementia caused by small strokes in the brain.

Question 12

Franklin is 72 years old. His daughter notes his failing memory and tells the doctor she thinks Franklin has Alzheimer's. The doctor notes Franklin's depressed mood and unsteadiness on his feet, and diagnoses Franklin with _________

Accepted Answer

The combination of depressed mood, unsteadiness on the feet, and memory difficulties suggests that Franklin is likely experiencing vascular dementia rather than Alzheimer's disease. Vascular dementia is a type of dementia that is caused by damage to the blood vessels in the brain, and it can cause a range of cognitive and physical symptoms. Late-onset Alzheimer's disease is a possibility, but the presence of other symptoms makes vascular dementia a more likely option. Early-onset Alzheimer's disease is less likely given Franklin's age, and amnestic disorder alone would not account for his other symptoms.

Question 13

Procedural memory often is intact in patients with amnestic disorder. This means ________

Accepted Answer

Procedural memory is the type of memory responsible for learning and performing motor and cognitive skills, such as riding a bike or typing on a keyboard. In patients with amnestic disorder, procedural memory is often intact, which means they can still learn routines and skills and may be able to be taught tasks that will enable them to work. However, this does not necessarily mean they will recover their short-term memory or memory for personal events.

Question 14

An individual with amnestic disorder is likely to be unable to ____________.

Accepted Answer

Amnestic disorder is a type of memory impairment where the person has difficulty in remembering things they have learned or events in their life. They may have difficulty recalling recent events, which is reflected in the inability to remember someone they met 5 minutes ago.

Question 15

Vascular dementia is less common than Alzheimer's disease because ________

Accepted Answer

Vascular dementia is caused by a series of small strokes or a major stroke that affects blood flow to the brain, leading to cognitive decline. As a result, patients with vascular dementia are more vulnerable to sudden death from stroke or cardiovascular disease. Alzheimer's disease, on the other hand, is the most common cause of dementia and is caused by the accumulation of amyloid plaques and tau protein tangles in the brain.

Question 16

Severe head injury resulting in unconsciousness often causes a person to experience ________, the inability to recall events that happened right before the injury.

Accepted Answer

Retrograde amnesia is the loss of memory for events that occurred before the injury or trauma. Anterograde amnesia is the inability to form new memories after the injury or trauma. Amnestic dementia is a progressive memory disorder and psychogenic amnesia is caused by psychological factors rather than physical injury.

Question 17

Which type of athlete has the greatest risk of experiencing brain damage because of a concussion?

Accepted Answer

Young children, like an 8-year-old boy playing football, have a greater risk of experiencing brain damage from concussions due to their developing brains and the high-impact nature of football.

Question 18

Of the choices listed below, the most common cause of traumatic brain injury is ________

Accepted Answer

Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injury, accounting for approximately 50% of all cases. Strokes, drug abuse, and Alzheimer's disease are not typically considered causes of traumatic brain injury.

Question 19

A bullet is most likely to cause ________

Accepted Answer

A bullet's high velocity and small size make it more likely to penetrate the skull and cause a penetrating head injury, as opposed to a closed-head injury. Amnestic disorder and multi-infarct dementia are not typically associated with bullet injuries.

Question 20

What has greatly reduced the number of HIV patients with neurocognitive deficits?

Accepted Answer

Antiretroviral drug therapy has greatly reduced the number of HIV patients with neurocognitive deficits by suppressing the replication of the virus in the central nervous system. This therapy has been shown to improve cognitive function and prevent the development of HIV-associated dementia. APOE-E4 allele therapy and ACh inhibitors do not specifically target HIV-associated neurocognitive deficits. While better support systems may be helpful for managing the symptoms of neurocognitive deficits, they do not reduce the number of patients who experience these deficits.

Quiz 14: Neurocognitive Disorders