Patient Symptoms and Underlying Pathophysiology in Dementia
Need original Essay?
Cognitive symptoms constitute the prominent manifestation in Alzheimer’s patients. Andrew cannot remember things or has short-term memory loss. He cannot remember little and big things, according to his family. Andrew is getting more disoriented and repeating himself. Difficulties in processing information result in an impaired ability to communicate and interact word-finding difficulties (Ashraf et al., 2022). Also, the patient fails to perform formerly mundane tasks because the disorder diminishes judgement and reasoning. Andrew got lost in the local park and walked 24 miles because he disoriented himself in public places. The confusion states deteriorate when patients with Alzheimer’s become anxious or fearful (McKhann et al., 2011). It is also crucial to note that Andrew has become highly anxious, paranoid, and aggressive. He most probably evolved these manifestations after his Alzheimer’s diagnosis, as his previous medical history did not include any psychopathological issues. This could the manifestation of anxiety and paranoia is triggered by Andrew’s constant confusion. These cognitive functions constitute the foundation of Alzheimer’s disorder and account for the underlying pathophysiological changes related to the disease manifestation.
Some social and physical symptoms characterize Alzheimer’s disease. The manifestations are characterized by inappropriate communication, hoping to adapt to aging oneself. Andrew has found that engaging in causal conversations to impossible and that he has increasingly become classified as conscious declines in his attributes. Dementia patients develop impaired motivation to make new friendships, thus relegating their cycle of friends to familial interactions (Steadman et al., 2020). This kind of reaction could explain why Andrew has become more fearful and anxious, mostly reliant on his immediate circle, in this situation Anne, his wife. Also, the behavioral manifestations of Alzheimer’s disease have become more pronounced. Over the past three weeks, Andrew has increasingly demonstrated repetitive behaviors and actions (a common manifestation of Alzheimer’s) and lost interest in his most-loved television program and hobbies, including folk dancing and gardening (Hart et al., 2016). Remarks healthcare professionals and Andrew’s family suggest that the dementia symptoms have become relatively worse in the past weeks. This claim is attributed to Andrew by taking medication for Hypertension, some of which exacerbate his dementia manifestations.
In summary, the cognitive manifestations of Alzheimer’s disease comprise memory problems, particularly short-term memory loss, an inability to speak, and disorientation in public places once walked. Aggression, anxiety, and paranoia characterize the deterioration of normal cognitive functions. The behavioral manifestations comprise an increased interest in repetitive tasks, pessimistic moods, and a constant feeling of fear. Inability to go out fearfully, dementia patients are increasingly dependent on intimate relationships. Healthcare professionals should advocate for routine clinical assessments to control dementia-related therapeutic regimens such as Andrew’s to reduce behavioral problems.
References
Ashraf, S., Tyrer, F. M., McDonald, C. R., Williams, N., Schofield, E. R., & Kumari, M. (2022). Defining and predicting the most common cognitive and functional presentations of dementia: The shaping of the early course of cognitive impairment to dementia. Aging, 14(21), 9685–9701. https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.203908
Hart, R. P., Schmid, A. B., Wu, A., McAlister, C., Zwan, R., Rivas, A., Schabron, M., Stankovic, M., Legault, A., Bertolatus, K., Chan, V., Bernstein, S. K., Buettner, D. M., Catoiu, I., Johnson, T. P., Murphy, K. T., Evans, M., & Zouridakis, G. (2016). Comparing the Functional, Cognitive, and Behavioral Symptoms in Dementia Using mHealth and Traditional Instruments. Entropy, 18(10), 353. https://doi.org/10.3390/e18100353
McKhann, G., Drachman, D., Dana, M., Stern, R., Hebert, L., & Noseworthy, M. (2011). Clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease: reports of the clinical features committee of the American Alzheimer’s disease association® and the Alzheimer’s disease cooperative study. Neurobiology of aging, 32(7), 1295-1300.
Steadman, J. R., Apt, W., Elliott, D., Power, E., & Mclain Smith, L. (2020). Social Work Action in Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers. Social work in health care, 59(4), 309-321. https://doi.org/10.1080/00981389.2020.1730332
Struggling with online classes or exams? Get expert help to ace your coursework, assignments, and tests stress-free!