TITLE:
Erratum to “Is Alzheimer’s Disease an Adaptability Disorder? What Role Does Happiness Have in Treatment, Management and Prevention” [World Journal of Neuroscience 5 (2015) 180-188]
AUTHORS:
John B. Myers
KEYWORDS:
Alzheimer’s Disease, Vascular Dementia, “Happiness as a Goal, Cause and in Management”, Functional Mental Capacity, Memory, Advocacy, Behaviour, General Systems Theory
JOURNAL NAME:
World Journal of Neuroscience,
Vol.5 No.4,
July
31,
2015
ABSTRACT: A case presentation
indicating the importance of “happiness” in childhood causing memory block
until the patent presented with probable mixed vascular and neurodegenerative
memory loss at 60 years of age is presented to highlight the role of emotional
factors in causing the disease. The question of whether Alzheimer’s disease is
an adaptability disorder is raised, given the patient blocked out her memory of
her childhood experience. The importance of “happiness” as a treatment goal
raises issues of advocacy and Guardianship as well as capacity, which is
addressed by actual case reference and court action in defence of the patient’s
rights to have their wishes respected and observed. Functional mental capacity
assessment, using the Functional Mental State Measure (FMSM) gives a greater
indication of neuronal reserve than standard cognitive testing, as it helps to
unravel the dilemma associated with pure cognitive assessment in Alzheimer’s
Disease as well as vascular dementia patients and patients who, despite retained
and intact functional capacity and ability to express their wishes, i.e. “best interest”, are “wrongly” placed
under Guardianship. A General Systems approach, which recognises functional
interaction as optimal and withdrawal or inadequate and/or inappropriate
response as not, provides further understanding of the relationship between
emotional factors, memory and neurodegenerative (Alzheimer’s) disease.