Neurocognitive disorders can be very devastating for both the patient and their family members.
•Compare two types of neurocognitive disorders and include disease trajectory and any scale/measure to identify worsening disease.
•Give one pharmacologic treatment and one nonpharmacologic treatment for the disorders.
Neurocognitive Disorders
Full Answer Section
Alzheimer's Disease
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Disease Trajectory:
- Insidious Onset: Alzheimer's typically has a slow and insidious onset, with subtle cognitive changes often overlooked initially.
- Gradual Decline: Cognitive decline progresses gradually, affecting memory, learning, language, and eventually, daily living skills.
- Progressive Deterioration: As the disease progresses, individuals may experience significant memory loss, confusion, behavioral changes, and difficulty with basic activities of daily living (ADLs).
- Terminal Illness: Alzheimer's is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with no current cure.
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Scale/Measure:
- Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE): A brief cognitive screening tool that assesses orientation, attention, memory, language, and visuospatial skills. It can help track cognitive decline over time.
- Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog): A more comprehensive assessment tool that evaluates cognitive function in more detail, including memory, language, attention, and praxis