pick's disease…

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central nervous system, lobar sclerosis, circumscribed brain atrophy, fronto-temporal dementia, arnold pick's disease, focal cerebral atrophy, pick's disease produces deterioration in mental function, loss of brain tissue in discrete areas, focal lesions, marked, abnormalities in brain cells, pick's bodies, found, in the affected areas, elsewhere, in the brain, pick's disease, rare disorder similar to senile dementia/alzheimer's type, what differentiates it from alzheimer's disease, it seems to affect predominantly circumscribed areas, the brain, not all regions, alzheimer's disease, diffuse process, affect any part, the brain, progresses, pick's disease affects, 1 out of 100,000 people, more common in women than men, young, begins between ages 40, average age of onset is 54, onset, insidious, disorder involves shrinking, the tissues, atrophy, the frontal, temporal lobes, the brain, "fronto-temporal dementia", neurons, nerve cells, areas contain abnormal material, pick's bodies, tangles made of tau protein, exact cause, symptoms similar to alzheimer's, aphasia, loss of language abilities, agnosia, loss of ability to recognize objects, apraxia, loss of skilled movement abilities, behavioral changes, prominent, loss of inhibition, change in personality, opposed to alzheimer's disease where memory loss, the primary feature, risk factors, a having a personal, family history of pick's disease, senile dementia, though the genetic basis, the disease has not yet been determined, movement/coordination difficulties, apraxia, the earliest symptoms, mood changes, personality changes, striking loss of concern, lack of anxiety, loss of initiative, flat affect, does not display any emotion, indecision, inappropriate mood, lack of spontaneity, decreased interest in daily living activities, impaired judgment, behavior changes, excessive manual exploration, the environment, withdrawal from social interaction, inability to function, interact in social, personal situations, inability to maintain employment, decreased ability to function in self care, behavior that is inappropriate relative, environment, language changes, echolalia, repetition of spoken, speech is incomprehensible jargon, aphasia, decreased language ability, difficulty speaking, understanding speech, inability to comprehend speech, difficulty finding a word, shrinking vocabulary, inability to speak, inability to repeat a phrase, poor enunciation, decreased ability to read, write, inability to name objects, loss of cognitive/intellectual skills, specific disorders of problem solving/learning, inability to generalize, loss of abstract thinking, impaired calculating ability, inability to learn, weakness, increased muscle tone, urinary incontinence, progressive dementia, memory loss, health care provider bases the initial diagnosis on history, signs, by ruling out other causes, dementia, dementia, due to metabolic causes, neurologic examination, reveal signs that vary according, the brain is afffected, temporal, frontal lobe signs, most common, resulting behavioral, language changes, other abnormalities, frontal release signs, presence of abnormal reflexes, exacerbation of muscle stretch reflexes, psychologic studies, tests of sensation, cognitive function, motor function abnormal, neuropsychologic assessment shows a pattern of mental decline that suggests selective loss of cognitive function, localized, frontal, temporal lobes, the brain, an eeg, electroencephalogram, nonspecific changes in electrical activity, the brain, a head ct scan shows loss of tissue mass of affected lobes, the brain, a brain mri, detect mild degrees of frontal, temporal atrophy missed by the head ct scan, cerebrospinal fluid examination after a lumbar puncture, normal, important to note that the definitive diagnosis, made by brain biopsy, the demonstration of pick bodies must be done, a microscope, experienced neuropathologist, ongoing efforts, directed at developing a biological marker that would allow a firm diagnosis, the need, such an invasive procedure, no proven effective treatment, pick's disease, monitoring, assistance, self-care required depending on symptoms exhibited, progression, the disorder, eventually, a need, 24-hour care, monitoring at home, in an institutionalized care setting, a safe environment, meet the individual's physiological needs, discontinuation, change in medications that worsen confusion, not essential, care, improve cognitive function, medications anticholinergics, analgesics, cimetidine, central nervous system depressants, lidocaine, medications, disorders that contribute to confusion, heart failure, decreased oxygen, hypoxia, thyroid disorders, anemia, nutritional disorders, infections, psychiatric conditions, depression, correction of coexisting medical, psychiatric disorders often gives great improvement in mental function, medications required to control aggressive, agitated behaviors, behaviors, dangerous, to others, sensory function, evaluated, augmented, needed by the use of hearing-aids, glasses, cataract surgery, behavior modification helpful, people in controlling unacceptable, dangerous behaviors, consists of rewarding appropriate, positive behaviors, ignoring inappropriate behaviors, the bounds of safety, formal psychotherapy treatment is seldom effective, overload limited cognitive resources, reality orientation, repeated reinforcement of environmental, cues, help reduce disorientation, family counseling, help in coping, the changes required, home care, visiting nurses, aides, volunteer services, homemakers, adult protective services, community resources helpful in caring, communities, access to support groups, alzheimer's, support group, elder care, support group, legal advice appropriate early, in the course, the disorder, advance directives, power of attorney, legal actions, make it easier to make ethical decisions regarding the care, pick's disease, probable outcome is poor, disorder progresses steadily, relatively rapidly, total disability occurs early, commonly, pick's disease results in death, 2 to 10 years, from infection, occasionally from general failure of body systems, loss of ability to care, self, perform normal activities, progressive loss of ability to function, loss of ability to interact, infection, reduced life span, abuse, over-stressed caregiver, side effects of medications, treat the disorder, symptoms of pick's disease develop, acute deterioration in mental function occurs, symptom, indicate development of another disorder, no known prevention, rare disorder.