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Case 35 - You Have Been Diagnosed with Alzheimer Disease; Is That It?

from Part 7 - Misinterpreting Test Results

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 November 2020

Keith Josephs
Affiliation:
Mayo Clinic Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center
Federico Rodriguez-Porcel
Affiliation:
Medical University of South Carolina
Rhonna Shatz
Affiliation:
University of Cincinnati
Daniel Weintraub
Affiliation:
University of Pennsylvania
Alberto Espay
Affiliation:
University of Cincinnati
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Summary

This 51-year-old right-handed woman requested further care for her previously diagnosed Alzheimer disease. Over the previous year, her coworkers observed that she would frequently forget instructions and conversations and increasingly relied on written reminders. She would ask the same question repeatedly and cueing helped inconsistently. Her symptoms had not worsened since. There were no language or visuospatial impairments. Her past medical history included lumpectomy and tamoxifen for breast cancer five years ago, and a 30-year history of alcohol abuse (daily beer and vodka, unknown volume). Indeed, family members reported finding empty bottles of vodka in the garbage. She had no family history of cognitive impairment or other neurologic condition. Previous work up included a normal blood work, brain MRI with contrast, normal cell count, protein, glucose, and cytology in cerebrospinal fluid, but bilateral temporoparietal hypometabolism on FDG-PET (Figure 35.1). With a presumed diagnosis of Alzheimer disease, she was started on donepezil 5 mg daily.

Type
Chapter
Information
Common Pitfalls in Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology
A Case-Based Approach
, pp. 110 - 112
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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