Running head: PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS 1

Psychological Disorders

Name

Institution
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Psychological Disorders

Alzheimer’s disease (AD)

The psychological disorder selected for this examination is Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

AD is a common mental disease among the elderly. It is characterized by impairment in

cognitive and psychological behaviors. AD is noted to considerably affect social welfare as well

as the professional lives of many individuals. An individual diagnosed with AD slowly becomes

forgetful until his family members, as well as his/her close friends, begin to notice. At an

advanced stage, the victim is usually incapacitated and requires assistance to complete daily

activities (Berkes, Bialystok, Craik, Troyer, & Freedman, 2020). Since AD is an extremely

complex disease, not a single treatment method can adequately solve the problem. As such,

designing a medical solution to help AD patients often involve multiple stages. For instance, one

phase may involve the management of behavioral symptoms, and the second stage involves

maintenance of the mental system. 

The Decision Steps You Applied 

The first decision step for the treatment of AD is the use of 4 Exelon, which is 1.5 mg of

BID administered orally. Further, the quantity of the BID is increased to 3 mg of BID after 2

weeks. This is also administered orally. Notably, I have selected this method of treatment as the

first decision as Exelon is a valid medical drug used in the treatment of the brain. In cases where

the thoughts or memory are affected, Exelon is a perfect drug to use (Verheijen, & Sleegers,

2018). Besides, it also stimulates the brain when areas handling speech are affected. With these

traits, it is essential to use Exelon as the first choice in the treatment of AD. 
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The second decision point would be to further increase the Exelon to 4.5 mg BID

administered orally. When the patient does not respond to the previous prescription in the first

decision, it is advised to increase the dosage of Exelon. Notably, this increment of Exelon

balances the concentration of neurotransmitters in the brain, hence enhancing awareness and the

ability to participate in daily routines (Weis et al., 2019). After completion of 4 weeks, the

patient is expected to report positive feedback. For instance, he/she should start attending

religious activities, as well as showing a slight interest in other social events. 

The last decision step would be to increase Exelon further to 6 mg BID administered

orally. After showing slight improvements, the increment in Exelon concentration in the

following weeks will help the patient to have a restore mood and cognitive abilities. In this case,

the patient will witness full recovery and participate in more events that are social. 

Impact on the Patient’s Pathophysiology 

The pathophysiological effects of Exelon include nausea, frequent feelings of vomiting,

and loss of appetite. The patient may equally feel weak due to vomiting as the body lacks enough

to sustain itself. Additionally, other side effects include drowsiness and trembling. 

Effects of Pathophysiological Knowledge on the Treatment Plan

The knowledge of potential pathophysiological effects of Exelon would impact how I

suggest the given treatment plan. Firstly, I would educate the patient on the available alternative

treatment approaches that AD patients can use. Further, I would equally reiterate the significance

of using Exelon. Besides, I would similarly mention the possible pathophysiological effects of

the drugs, such as the need to vomit and to experience nausea. Further, I will make the patients

aware that AD is usually an irreversible medical complication. Despite the notion that
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cholinesterase inhibitors can help rectify the process, the treatment process should last a few

months. Thus, the patient, as well as his/her relatives, will be persistent to observe all the

requirements as directed.
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References

Berkes, M., Bialystok, E., Craik, F. I., Troyer, A., & Freedman, M. (2020). Conversion of mild

cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s disease in monolingual and bilingual

patients. Alzheimer’s Disease & Associated Disorders. doi:

10.1097/WAD.0000000000000373

Verheijen, J., & Sleegers, K. (2018). Understanding Alzheimer’s disease at the interface between

genetics and transcriptomics. Trends in Genetics, 34(6), 434-447. doi:

10.1016/j.tig.2018.02.007

Weis, S., Sonnberger, M., Dunzinger, A., Voglmayr, E., Aichholzer, M., Kleiser, R., & Strasser,

P. (2019). Neurodegenerative Diseases: Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In Imaging Brain

Diseases (pp. 897-931). Springer, Vienna.