Dementia Is Not A Disease But Rather A Group Of Symptoms...

Dementia is not a disease but rather a group of symptoms caused by disorders that affect the brain (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, n. d). The hallmark of dementia, memory impairment, is accompanied by deficits in language, motor function, recognition, or executive function (Stahl, 2013). The most common forms of dementia are caused by Alzheimer’s disease (AD), vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (Prince et al., 2013). The risk of dementia increases with age. Dementia is rare below the age of sixty but affects about 17% of those between 80 and 85 years of age, 33% of those between 85 and 90 years old, and 50% of those over 90 years of age (Tom et al., 2015). As the†¦show more content†¦The client scored 18 out of 30 on the Mini-Mental State Exam which suggests moderate dementia. The client displayed tangential speech, restricted affect, disorientation to time and event, and impaired impulse contr ol during the clinical interview. The diagnosis is major neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer’s disease (presumptive). Treatment Plan Decision One In decision point one, the choices provided are to initiate (a) rivastigmine 1.5 mg orally twice daily with an increase to 3 mg orally twice daily in two weeks, (b) donepezil 5 mg orally at bedtime, or (c) galantamine 4 mg orally twice daily. All of the medications are cholinesterase inhibitors and are considered first-line pharmacotherapy for AD (Yiannopoulou Papageorgiou, 2012). In randomized controlled trials, rivastigmine, donepezil, and galantamine showed no significant difference in efficacy (Yiannopoulou Papageorgiou, 2012). Donepezil was selected. Once-daily dosing has been shown to have better adherence than twice daily (Ryan et al., 2014). Galantamine and rivastigmine have a higher incidence of gastrointestinal adverse effects than donepezil (Noetzli Eap, 2013; Yiannopoulou Papageorgiou, 2012). The medication, donepezil, was chosen to reduce the client’s behavioral symptoms and slow the progression of neurodegeneration. The client returned to the clinic in four weeks accompanied by his son. The client’s son reports no improvement in theShow MoreRelatedDementia Is The Only Cause Death That Does Not Have A Cure972 Words   |  4 PagesDementia is the only cause of death that does not have a cure and cannot be prevented. It is the loss of mental functions such as thinking, memory, and reasoning that is severe enough to interfere with a person s daily functioning. Dementia is not the name of a specific disease itself, but rather a group of symptoms that are caused by various diseases or conditions. 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