Discussion- Treatment of Neurocognitive Disorders-WK8- DEMENTIA WITH LEWY BOD.

Posted: November 6th, 2022

Discussion- Treatment of Neurocognitive Disorders-WK8- DEMENTIA WITH LEWY BOD.

Discussion- Treatment of Neurocognitive Disorders-WK8- DEMENTIA WITH LEWY BODY
Neurocognitive disorders (NCD) such as delirium, dementia, and amnestic disorders are more prevalent in older adults. As the population ages and as life expectancy in the United States continues to increase, the incidence of these disorders will continue to increase. Cognitive functioning such as memory, language, orientation, judgment, and problem solving are affected in clients with NCDs. Caring for someone with a neurocognitive disorder is not only challenging for the clinician, but also stressful for the family. The PMHNP needs to consider not only the client but also the “family as client.” Collaboration with primary care providers and specialty providers is essential. Anticipatory guidance also becomes extremely important.

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In this Discussion, you will integrate several sources of knowledge specific to NCDs as you discuss evidenced-based therapies used to treat these disorders.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
• Analyze diagnostic criteria for neurocognitive disorders
• Analyze evidence-based psychotherapy and psychopharmacologic treatment for neurocognitive disorders
• Evaluate benefits and risks of neurocognitive therapies
• Compare differential diagnostic features of neurocognitive disorders
QUESTION
.
Post:
• Explain the diagnostic criteria for DEMENTIA WITH LEWY BODY which is a neurocognitive disorder.
• Explain the evidenced-based psychotherapy and psychopharmacologic treatment for DEMENTIA WITH LEWY BODY neurocognitive disorder.
• Identify the risks of different types of therapy and explain how the benefits of the therapy that might be achieved might outweigh the risks.
• Support your rationale with references to the Learning Resources or other academic resource.

Dementia with levy bodies is a progressively common type of neurocognitive disorder after Alzheimer’s disease. It is characterized by deposition and development of proteins in the brain nerves which hold the motor, thinking and memory functions (Walker et al., 2015). These proteins are referred to as the Lewy bodies,and they are involved in the progressive deterioration of mental functioning. This condition is prevalent in older adults which increase with the increase in the aging population. The management of neurocognitive disorders is stressing, challenging and financially burdening to the individual, family, society and the healthcare system.
Diagnostic Criteria
Dementia with Lewy bodies presents symptoms similar to multiple mental conditions. As such a diagnosis is essential in establishing the root cause and the underlying problems resulting in the manifestation of particular symptoms. In this case, the patient is diagnosed with dementia with Lewy bodies following her progressive decline of the mental abilities evident in her forgetfulness of the way home and her car at the parking lot (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Additional symptoms that can diagnose the client include Parkinsonian symptoms, repeated visual hallucinations; unpredictable and fluctuating thinking and alertness as well as REM sleep behavior disorder. A more accurate diagnosis can be obtained from tests involving particular biomarkers that indicate the presence of the disease.
Consequently, the nerve functioning of the heart’s blood vessels can be measured as well as the examination of sleep patterns using studies that examine the brain wave activity. On the other hand, positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) imaging tests can be used to visualize the brain nerves for the presence of Lewy bodies(Gabbard, 2014). These act as differential diagnosis from similar disorders such as frontotemporal dementia, Alzheimer disease (AD),Parkinson disease and prion-related diseases. LBD patients demonstrate higher spectral power density in the theta b and delta as well as in posterior slow-wave activity in comparison to AD patients.
Evidenced-based Psychotherapy and Psychopharmacologic Treatment
Dementia with Lewy is managed using the evidence-based psychological and pharmacotherapy approaches. The treatment seeks to alleviate the patient’s symptoms and improve the quality of their lives. Pharmacological interventions for this client will involve the administration of cholinesterase inhibitors such as rivastigmine which increase the chemical messenger’s levels critical in the judgment, memory,and thought(Stahl, 2014). Their effects include the improvement of cognition, alertness, reduction of behavioral problems and hallucinations. However, these medications might cause multiple side effects such as frequent urination, excessive salivation,and tearing and gastrointestinal upset. Other drugs maybe prescribed depending on the presenting symptoms such as motor and sleep problems. Parkinson’s disease medications like carbidopa-levodopa reduce muscle rigidity and slow movement.
Psychotherapy uses cognitive behavior therapy approaches in the treatment of dementia with Lewy bodies. This involves modification of behaviors, thoughts and emotions through the creation of daily routines with simple tasks, offering soothing responses to patients through validation and reassurance as well as modification of the environment to reduce probable aggravating risks(Sadock, Sadock& Ruiz, 2014). Moreover, toleration of behavior is also essential since the patient might have worsened outcomes after the intake of drugs. Modification of behaviors helps to increase the coping efficacy of the client,and thus, the combination of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy approaches optimizes the outcome of the patient.
Therapy Risks and Achievement of Benefits
The risks associated with pharmacotherapy are the side effects of medication. They might worsen the patient’s condition thus threatening their safety. Moreover, they may result in discontinuation of the drug due to lack of tolerance. Psychotherapy interventions also present a risk lack of adherence following the forgetfulness of the client. In this case, the use of psychological approaches before prescription of medication can optimize the treatment outcomes. Notably, the combination of both therapies may increase the benefits of management of Dementia with Lewy bodies. Customization of these therapies depending on an individual’s unique problems will also be effective.
Dementia with levy bodies is a progressively common type of neurocognitive disorder after Alzheimer’s disease. It is characterized by deposition and development of proteins in the brain nerves which hold the motor, thinking and memory functions (Walker et al., 2015). These proteins are referred to as the Lewy bodies and they are involved in the progressive deterioration of mental functioning. This condition is prevalent in older adults which increase with the increase in the aging population. The management of neurocognitive disorders is stressing, challenging and financially burdening to the individual, family, society and the healthcare system.
Diagnostic Criteria
Dementia with Lewy bodies presents symptoms similar to multiple mental conditions. As such a diagnosis is essential in establishing the route cause and the underlying problems resulting in the manifestation of particular symptoms. In this case, the patient is diagnosed with dementia with Lewy bodies following her progressive decline of the mental abilities evident in her forgetfulness of the way home and her car at the parking lot (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Other symptoms that can diagnose the client include Parkinsonian symptoms, repeated visual hallucinations; unpredictable and fluctuating thinking and alertness as well as REM sleep behavior disorder. More accurate diagnosis can be obtained from tests involving particular biomarkers that indicate the presence of the disease.
Consequently, the nerve functioning of the heart’s blood vessels can be measured as well as the examination of sleep patterns using studies that examine the brain wave activity. On the other hand, positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) imaging tests can be used to visualize the brain nerves for the presence of Lewy bodies(Gabbard, 2014). A diagnosis can also be based on the loss of sense of smell, feelings of excessive sleep during the daytime and autonomic dysfunction.
Evidenced-based Psychotherapy and Psychopharmacologic Treatment
Dementia with Lewy is managed using the evidence-based psychological and pharmacotherapy approaches. The treatment seeks to alleviate the patient’s symptoms and improve the quality of their lives. Pharmacological interventions for this client will involve the administration of cholinesterase inhibitors such as rivastigmine which increase the chemical messenger’s levels critical in the judgment, memory and thought(Stahl, 2014). Their effects include the improvement of cognition, alertness, reduction of behavioral problems and hallucinations. However, these medications might cause multiple side effects such as frequent urination, excessive salivation and tearing and gastrointestinal upset. Other drugs maybe prescribed depending on the presenting symptoms such as motor and sleep problems. Parkinson’s disease medications like carbidopa-levodopa reduce muscle rigidity and slow movement.
Psychotherapeutic approaches used in the treatment of dementia with Lewy bodies include creation of daily routines with simple tasks, offering soothing responses to patients through validation and reassurance as well as modification of the environment to reduce probable aggravating risks(Sadock, Sadock& Ruiz, 2014). Moreover, toleration of behavior is also essential since the patient might have worsened outcomes after the intake of drugs. Modification of behaviors helps increase the coping efficacy of the client and thus, the combination of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy approaches optimizes the outcome of the patient.
Therapy Risks and Achievement of Benefits
The risks associated with pharmacotherapy are the side effects of medication. They might worsen the patient’s condition thus threatening their safety. Moreover, they may result to discontinuation of the drug due to lack of tolerance. In this case, the use of psychological approaches before prescription of medication can optimize the treatment outcomes. Notably, the combination of both therapies may increase the benefits of management of Dementia with Lewy bodies. Customization of these therapies depending on an individual’s unique problems will also be effective.

Discussion- Treatment of Neurocognitive Disorders-WK8-DEMENTIA WITH LEWY BODY
Neurocognitive disorders (NCD) such as delirium, dementia, and amnestic disorders are more prevalent in older adults. As the population ages and as life expectancy in the United States continues to increase, the incidence of these disorders will continue to increase. Cognitive functioning such as memory, language, orientation, judgment, and problem solving are affected in clients with NCDs. Caring for someone with a neurocognitive disorder is not only challenging for the clinician, but also stressful for the family. The PMHNP needs to consider not only the client but also the “family as client.” Collaboration with primary care providers and specialty providers is essential. Anticipatory guidance also becomes extremely important.
In this Discussion, you will integrate several sources of knowledge specific to NCDs as you discuss evidenced-based therapies used to treat these disorders.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
• Analyze diagnostic criteria for neurocognitive disorders
• Analyze evidence-based psychotherapy and psychopharmacologic treatment for neurocognitive disorders
• Evaluate benefits and risks of neurocognitive therapies
• Compare differential diagnostic features of neurocognitive disorders
QUESTION
.
Post:
• Explain the diagnostic criteria for DEMENTIA WITH LEWY BODY which is a neurocognitive disorder.
• Explain the evidenced-based psychotherapy and psychopharmacologic treatment for DEMENTIA WITH LEWY BODYneurocognitive disorder.
• Identify the risks of different types of therapy and explain how the benefits of the therapy that might be achieved might outweigh the risks.
• Support your rationale with references to the Learning Resources or other academic resource.

By Day 6
Respond to at least two of your colleagues by comparing the differential diagnostic features of the disorder you were assigned to the diagnostic features of the disorder your colleagues were assigned.