Introduction
Neurodegenerative diseases have a record of affecting all ages. In Massimo’s case, a forty-five-year-old man, experienced a short attention span, impaired speech, a lack of recognition of the people he was with, including his wife, memory loss about his deceased grandmother, and confusion.
Discussion
All this happened on a day for an average healthy man. Due to his age, it is easy to rule out Alzheimer’s as that is a condition that primarily affects people above sixty-five years. However, it can be a possibility of early-onset Alzheimer’s or mild cognitive impairment.
Alzheimer’s is characterized by the 4As, which include amnesia, aphasia, agnosia, and apraxia, in which Massimo exuded most of its characteristics. According to Chaudhury et al., 13% of people with Alzheimer’s are in their 40s and 50s, therefore qualifying for Massimo to have early-onset Alzheimer’s if the condition progresses as he ages (2019). Additionally, it could be mild cognitive impairment as the state shares symptoms with early-onset Alzheimer’s, and if there would be a decline of the signs in the future. The target symptom of this condition is the inability to work with things they are familiar with, such as Massimo being unable to drive a car or not recognizing his friends and wife.
Conclusion
Nevertheless, the diagnosis for this depends on the progressiveness of the symptoms to distinguish between early-onset Alzheimer’s and mild cognitive impairment. For confirmation, one would do a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computerized tomography (CT) scan and check for changes in the white matter. For physical tests, one would study for muscle coordination and track the patient’s forgetfulness. As a treatment plan, a healthy diet, social interactions to keep the brain active, and regular exercising would go a long way in helping Massimo.
Reference
Chaudhury, S., Brookes, K. J., Patel, T., Fallows, A., Guetta-Baranes, T., Turton, J. C.,… & Thomas, A. J. (2019). Alzheimer’s disease polygenic risk score as a predictor of conversion from mild cognitive impairment. Translational psychiatry, 9(1), 1-7.