H - 10 Misdiagnosis of Dementia in the Latinx Community: a Case Study.

OBJECTIVE: This case study will illustrate the importance of increasing health literacy regarding neurocognitive disorders to reduce emotional burden and potential functional loss. This impact will be exemplified through a case of a 56-year-old Mexican bilingual male with 16 years of education diagnosed with dementia after obtaining a 28 out of 30 on cognitive screening administered in his second language.

METHOD: The patient was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease (PD) at age 47, though neuroimaging was unremarkable for PD. PD was diagnosed solely on the progression of symptoms, including resting and postural bilateral tremors, mild right bradykinesia, slight rigidity, and rapid eye movement sleep behaviors. Levodopa treatment was administered without benefit. A possible transient ischemic attack at age 52 was reported. Cognitive problems included one-to-two years of stable changes in attention, multi-tasking, short-term memory, and word-finding. The patient managed instrumental activities of daily living independently. A local neurologist diagnosed the patient with dementia, resulting in applying for disability, early retirement, and emotional distress. The patient underwent a comprehensive bilingual neuropsychological assessment.

RESULTS: Findings from neuropsychological testing revealed strengths and relative difficulties, in Spanish and English, including word retrieval, phonemic fluency, visuoconstruction, and aspects of executive functioning. The patient endorsed elevated symptoms of depression, anxiety, and somatization.

CONCLUSIONS: The patient did not meet criteria for dementia; symptoms were consistent with PD. Providing psychoeducation encouraged the patient's return to former occupational activities that he enjoyed. This illustrates the importance of providing comprehensive evaluations to increase diagnostic sensitivity and highlighting the need for psychoeducation to the community at large.