Neurodevelopmental disorders begin in the developmental period of childhood and may continue through adulthood. They may range from the very specific to a general or global impairment, and often co-occur (APA, 2022). They include specific learning and language disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorders, and intellectual disabilities. Neurocognitive disorders, on the other hand, represent a decline in one or more areas of prior mental function that is significant enough to impact independent functioning. They may occur at any time in life and be caused by factors such brain injury; diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, or Huntington’s; infection; or stroke, among others.
For this Assignment, you will assess a patient in a case study who presents with a neurocognitive or neurodevelopmental disorder.
To Prepare:
- Review this week’s Learning Resources and consider the insights they provide. Consider how neurocognitive impairments may have similar presentations to other psychological disorders.
- Review the Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation template, which you will use to complete this Assignment.
- Watch and review the video case study to use for this Assignment
(Provided Below)
View your assigned video case and review the additional data for the case in the - “Case History Reports” (PROVIDED BELOW) keeping the requirements of the evaluation template in mind.
- Consider what history would be necessary to collect from this patient.
- Consider what interview questions you would need to ask this patient.
- Identify at least three possible differential diagnoses for the patient.
VIDEO LINK: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/yvjyy5yqlupv0ug6f1gpx/ASSIGNMENT-VIDEO.mov?rlkey=nrqd28gummgbfieiqpn4q3nj5&st=gnldy3d5&dl=0CASE HISTORY REPORTS: EXTRA INFO ABOUT THE PATIENT Harold Brown is a 60-year-old male with a bachelor’s degree in engineering. He has never been married and has no children, though he does have one younger brother. Harold leads a casual dating life and typically sleeps for about 7 hours each night, maintaining a good appetite. He reports no legal issues and scored 28 out of 30 on the MOCA, although he experiences some difficulty with attention and delayed recall. Additionally, he scored 21 out of 24 on the ASRS, and he denies any history of drug use. On weekends, he enjoys having a single scotch drink along with a cigar. Harold has an allergy to Dilaudid and a history of hypertension, which is managed with 100 mg of Cozaar taken daily. He also has angina and is prescribed 81 mg of aspirin daily. His regimen includes taking 80 mg of valsartan daily for his blood pressure. He has been diagnosed with hypertriglyceridemia and is prescribed 160 mg of fenofibrate daily, as well as tamsulosin 0.4 mg taken at bedtime for his benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). His vital signs include a temperature of 98.8°F, pulse of 74 bpm, respiratory rate of 18 breaths per minute, and a blood pressure reading of 134/70 mmHg. Harold is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 170 pounds.Complete and submit your Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation, including your differential diagnosis and critical-thinking process to formulate primary diagnosis.
Incorporate the following into your responses in the template:
- Subjective: What details did the patient provide regarding their chief complaint and symptomology to derive your differential diagnosis? What is the duration and severity of their symptoms? How are their symptoms impacting their functioning in life?
- Objective: What observations did you make during the psychiatric assessment?
- Assessment: Discuss the patient’s mental status examination results. What were your differential diagnoses? Provide a minimum of three possible diagnoses with supporting evidence, listed in order from highest priority to lowest priority. Compare the DSM-5-TR diagnostic criteria for each differential diagnosis and explain what DSM-5-TR criteria rules out the differential diagnosis to find an accurate diagnosis. Explain the critical-thinking process that led you to the primary diagnosis you selected. Include pertinent positives and pertinent negatives for the specific patient case.
- Reflection notes: What would you do differently with this client if you could conduct the session over? Also include in your reflection a discussion related to legal/ethical considerations (demonstrate critical thinking beyond confidentiality and consent for treatment!), health promotion and disease prevention taking into consideration patient factors (such as age, ethnic group, etc.), PMH, and other risk factors (e.g., socioeconomic, cultural background, etc.).
TIPS FROM THE PROFESSOR
Objective section: If labs or diagnostics arent given, you can add what you would do. You are trying to add evidence to your diagnosis.
You need more detail on your diagnosis. Talk about inclusion and exclusion criteria and how it fits your patient.
In the reflection, this should be more detailed. Check the rubric for what should be included.