Alzheimer's Disease
BY: AMAN SINGH AND ALLY MATTINGLY
Case
Patient #2- A 78-year-old man comes to your office with his
daughter. The daughter reports that her father, Mark, has been
confusing the name of relatives and is having trouble controlling
his emotions. Her father was once a respected mathematician,
but he is now having trouble completing simple calculations. He
even claims that he does not know how to play the card game
they have been playing since she was a little girl. She tried to get
him to shower and put on clean clothes for the doctor’s visit, but
he is adamant about the fact that he is clean. Most recently, he
has had trouble recognizing people he has known for years. For
quite some time, he has had trouble finding items such as his
glasses or keys and his daughter attributed this to the natural
aging process. Now she is not so sure.
Symptoms and Explanations
Alzheimer's is a form of Dementia. Dementia is not a
specific disease. It is a term for a collection of
symptoms that can be caused by a number of disorders
that affect the brain, including Alzheimer's. People
with dementia have significantly impaired intellectual
functioning that interferes with normal activities and
relationships. They also lose their ability to solve
problems and maintain emotional control, and they
may experience personality changes. Which explains
all your father's symptoms.
Possible Diagnosis
After running a series of tests, and examining your father’s
we have made a list of possible diagnosis.
-Alzheimer's
-Parkinson's disease
Possible Tests:
-Alcohol withdrawal
-Blood Test
-Medical side effects
-Brain Scans
We have concluded that your father most likely has
Alzheimer’s Disease. Alzheimer’s can also be
genetic. When AD runs in families, it’s called
Familial Alzheimer’s Disease.
What is Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's worsens over time. It's a progressive
disease, where dementia symptoms gradually worsen
over a number of years. Alzheimer's has 3 stages. Mild,
Moderate, and Severe. He may face confusion about
the location of familiar places. He may also take longer
to accomplish normal, daily tasks. There is also a
chance of mood and personality changes and increased
anxiety. Your father may become short-tempered and
not able to handle shock easily.
Prognosis
Treatment options: Unfortunately, Alzheimer's
Disease is not curable. It progresses slowly over 8 to 10
years after the onset of symptoms. How long a person
with Alzheimer's will live is highly dependent on the
person's age from the diagnosis of the disease as well
as what medical problems the person is experiencing
in addition to Alzheimer's.
Errors in Communication
Medically speaking, Alzheimer's is when plaques and
tangles “choke” off the neurons, causing the neurons to
lose energy and die. This happens in the temporal lobe
of the brain. Plaques are abnormal accumulations of
beta-amyloid, which are proteins.
It's basically a gradual loss of brain cells. It causes
damage to neurons so they no longer function
properly. It also causes the loss of neural connections
called synapses where messages are passed from
neuron to neuron.
Psychologist
The Psychologist can give your father coping
mechanisms for dealing with AD. He/she can give you
some as well. People with Alzheimer's can live healthy
lives with medication to slow down its progression.
However, he will soon become very dependent. He will
need a lot of family and friend support. You, other
family, and friends can take care of him, but she/he
can give you housing options, such as a nursing home
or an in-home nurse.
Physician
A geriatric psychiatrist has special training in the
diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders that may
occur in older adults, such as Alzheimer’s. They listen
to the patient’s concerns as well as their family's
concerns. Then the geriatric psychiatrist will propose
some solutions. He/She will work with other health
professionals for the treatment of the patient.
Treatment
Alzheimer’s has no actual cure, but there are medications
that can make the progression slow down, and make your
father more comfortable. Medications include:
The FDA has approved Aricept, Exelon, Razadyne, and
Namenda which can all help with confusion, memory loss,
and problems with thinking and reasoning. These can also
help with behavioral changes like, anxiety, depression,
aggression, outbursts, among many other changes. There
are also clinical trials that could contribute to the cure for
Alzheimer’s.
The End
Work Cited
 Alzheimer's Disease: Unraveling the Mystery (n.d.).
Retrieved October 6, 2015, from
https://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/publication/part-2what-happens-brain-ad/hallmarks-ad
 The Progression of Alzheimer's Disease. (2015, July 2).
Retrieved October 6, 2015, from
http://www.brightfocus.org/alzheimers/infographic/pro
gression-alzheimers-disease
 Alzheimer's Disease Overview, Brain Anatomy. (n.d.).
Retrieved October 6, 2015, from
http://www.healthcommunities.com/alzheimersdisease/overview-of-alzheimers.shtml