A story of Pick's disease: a rare form of dementia.

Pick's disease is a progressive illness that affects brain function, eventually causing loss of verbal skills and problem-solving abilities. Pick's disease accounts for 5% of all dementias. The most common symptoms involve personality, behavior, and language changes. Diagnosis can be difficult; a differential diagnosis often requires several years. Frequently, the disorder is initially diagnosed as stress, depression, or Alzheimer's disease. A magnetic resonance imaging scan will show atrophied portions of the frontal and temporal lobes. One of the most difficult aspects of care for someone with Pick's disease is communication. The communication styles of nurses can alleviate the anxiety experienced by a person with Pick's disease. Nurses should try different strategies as an approach to communicating and caring for someone with Pick's disease, remembering that each person suffering from dementia is different. Pick's disease can be emotionally devastating to the families of those who develop this disease. Working with families confronting the disability of a loved one is perhaps the greatest challenge for nurses. Nurses have the responsibility of educating the primary caregiver about nutrition, skin protection, incontinence care, safety, and end-of-life decisions.