Problem
1. What further deficits might emerge with formal testing?
2. What would you predict the results of these to be?
3. Identify which area or areas of the neurological system would be involved in this impairment.
Case Study
John is a 50-year-old man who lives in a small apartment in the suburbs of Chicago with his wife. He is a retired law enforcement officer who now spends his days playing chess with his friends, gardening, doing outdoor activities, and cooking. He enjoys spending time with his family, going on walks, and playing video games. John was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) approximately six months ago. He has noticed that his muscles have been steadily weakening over time, and he has difficulty completing everyday tasks. He has also seen his speech becoming slower and has difficulty forming words. He has started to rely more heavily on his wife for help with daily activities and finds it difficult to do things he used to enjoy. His family has also noticed that his balance and coordination have been affected, making it difficult to do something like walking and gardening. His family has noticed that his deficits have progressively worsened, mainly impacting his speech as they sometimes find it challenging to understand him.
Furthermore, due to his difficulties in communicating, his family has noticed this affecting his social life, making him not want to go out with friends sometimes. They also started to have concerns about his eating as they saw he often has difficulty swallowing his food and begins to cough, and usually has to take breaks to finish his food. Overall, John's ALS has significantly impacted his quality of life, making it difficult to do the things he used to enjoy. John has adapted to his condition and is doing his best to continue living. He has started using a wheelchair for longer distances and an augmentative and alternative communication device to help him with his speech. He also tries to stay as active as possible and can still play chess and cook. He can still enjoy time with his family and is grateful for their support. Overall, John's physical appearance has changed significantly since he was diagnosed. He has lost a lot of muscle mass, and his speech is much slower and more difficult to understand. He has also lost a lot of his balance and coordination, making it difficult to do everyday tasks. Despite these changes, he can still enjoy life and is grateful for the support of his family. Moreover, John's family is concerned that these symptoms will gradually get worse, and he will eventually have to depend solely on others to continue with his daily activities, and they are seeking clinical recommendations.