Charles is a 78 year old widowed male who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease three years ago. Charles’ children became concerned when what they initially thought was forgetfulness associated with aging became more frequent and severe. They were initially confused, as Charles could remember intricate carpentry details which he had performed thirty years earlier, but he seemed unable to remember the name of the neighbor next door who he had met earlier that week. Over several months, Charles’ memory seemed to gradually decline. Since the decline happened relatively gradually, his children were less alarmed than they had been when Charles years earlier, at the age of66, had had a sudden cloudyness about his surroundings. At that time, Charles had had a sudden onset of confusion about where he was and what day it was. It was determined by the emergency room staff that his blood pressure medication and his heart medication (for a congenital heart defect) had negatively interacted and were creating those symptoms. When his medication was adjusted, Charles had quickly demonstrated coherent thinking. The memory deficits which surfaced recently, however, were accompanied by other symptoms, including argumentativeness and social isolation. Charles’ children brought him to a physician who diagnosed him with possible Alzheimer’s, early stage.
1. Based on your understanding of abnormal psychology, propose a diagnosis for Charles based on his recent memory problems.
2. Provide three pieces of information to support your diagnosis.
3. What was Charles experiencing years earlier, at the age of 66? Support your answer.
4. Why is the doctor’s diagnosis “possible”?
clear and simple language
do not need to use or cite sources
