Case 2 data (Monday afternoon)

Because of the patient's extreme agitation, no formal testing was attempted. After disarming the patient of her cane, maintaining a very calm demeanor, avoiding direct eye-contact, and firmly holding onto the patient's wrists, she was able to gradually calm down; a process that was accelerated with a dose of Lorazepam. After this period of aggression/agitation, the patient became tearful and attempted to apologize for her behavior, although she was unable to verbalize what had prompted this catastrophic reaction. Interviewing the patient's daughter uncovered a history of poverty, mental and physical abuse perpetrated by her husband (a former preacher), and emotional loss/abandonment during the patient's lifetime. The patient exhibited poor short-term memory; however, she exhibited good recall of historical events (remote memory) as evidenced by her ability to recognize photographs from her early adulthood and discuss events associated with those photographs.