What is his diagnosis? 

CASE STUDY: Read and answer questions on the following case study. 

Mr. Science 

Mr. Science is a 61 year old science teacher who became very fearful during the first semester of the new academic year. Over the next few months he lost interest in his hobbies, stopped reading and had difficulty doing computations or taking care of his finances. He even got lost driving to his school one morning. He began writing notes to himself to avoid forgetting things. Abruptly he retired from work and did not even consult his wife. He became stubborn and irritable and needed help in shaving and dressing. When he was examined 6 years after the first symptoms developed, he was alert, cooperative, but disoriented to time. He could not recall the names of 4 or 5 objects after 5 minutes and was unable to remember his college, his major and thought that Kennedy was president in 1978. His speech was fluent, but he had word finding problems. He called a cup a vase and the rims of glasses as “holders.” He did math poorly and could not copy a cube or draw a house. His interpretations of proverbs were concrete and had no insight into his problems. Lab tests were all negative. CAT scan showed cortical atrophy. 

Questions: 

1. What is his diagnosis? 

2. What are the symptoms that helped you make this diagnosis? What diagnostic criteria do they relate to? 

3. What are two other possible diagnoses and why did you not choose them? 

4. What kinds of psychological interventions would be appropriate in this case? 

5. What is his prognosis? 

Sample Solution

1. The diagnosis of Mr. Science is Alzheimer’s disease.
2. The symptoms that helped in making this diagnosis are: difficulty with recall, disorientation to time, word-finding problems, poor math skills, concrete interpretations of proverbs, and lack of insight. These symptoms relate to the diagnostic criteria of memory loss, disorientation, language problems, poor visuospatial skills, and loss of insight.
3. Two other possible diagnoses are dementia due to multiple strokes (vascular dementia) and frontotemporal dementia. However, the presence of cortical atrophy on the CAT scan supports the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
4. Appropriate psychological interventions in this case would be: memory aids, reality orientation therapy, and behavioral management techniques to reduce agitation and confusion. Psychotherapy for the patient’s caregivers to help them manage the stress and emotional impact of caring for a loved one with dementia may also be beneficial.
5. The prognosis for Alzheimer’s disease is generally poor, with progressive decline in cognitive and functional abilities over time. However, the pace of decline varies from person to person and some …Order a customized and more comprehensive answer here