“Como se fosse a primeira vez”: um caso de reabilitação neuropsicológica em paciente com doença de Alzheimer

Abstract

As the aging population continues to growolder, degenerative occur more frequently, such as Alzheimer's disease. It is neurodegenerative dementia characterized by progressive cognitive decline in various domains, especially memory loss, and social and emotional impairments, leading to several neuropsychological disorders. However, the diagnosis of the disease in its initial phase is still not accurate and mode in a timely manner, leading to the notifications in moderate or already advanced cases. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation emerges as an alternative for coping with the damages in various functional cognitive areas of Alzheimer's disease. The study aims to describe and report a neuropsychological clinical case in 93-year-old women with AD, and to analyze the effects of rehabilitation. For this, reason neuropsychological pre- and post-intervention evaluations were done. The rehab program occuried in 12 meetings. The work was conducted respecting the utilization the preserved functions aimed to an adaptation to the losses acquired by the demential framework, in order to improve the quality of life inf the patient and his family members. The rehabilitation was based on preserved memory guidelines such as autobiographical and implicit memory, as well as modalities that presented alterations such as episodic memory and constructive ability. Statistical analysis was performed using the T-Test for paired sample in Statistical Product and Service Solutions (IBM SPSS) software version 25. The results showed statistically significant changes in late recall and recognition, verbal fluency, and constructive ability. Qualitatively, there was difference in the temporal-spatial orientation gross score. This case study affirmed previous researches on the positive effects of rehabilitation in Alzheimer's patients. rehabilitation could stabilize and delay disease progression. However, the rehabilitation of Alzheimer's patients is still soonly studied by health professionals, and Psychology, research investments in this area, are needed.