A 65-year-old woman presents to her primary care physician with complaints of new-onset memory loss. Her family reports that she has been forgetting recent events, repeating questions, and misplacing items more frequently over the past few months. She has no significant medical history but has noticed a decline in her cognitive abilities. On examination, she demonstrates difficulty recalling recent events and exhibits word-finding difficulties. Her Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score is 20/30. What is the most likely diagnosis for this patient, and what are the hallmark clinical manifestations? (Select all that apply)
Loss of short-term memory
Alzheimer’s disease
Vascular dementia
Word-finding difficulties
Correct Answer : A,B,D,E
Choice A reason: Loss of short-term memory is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, as seen in the patient’s difficulty recalling recent events. This reflects early hippocampal damage, impairing new memory formation, making it a correct clinical manifestation for this diagnosis.
Choice B reason: Alzheimer’s disease is the most likely diagnosis, given progressive memory loss, word-finding difficulties, and an MMSE score of 20/30 in a 65-year-old. These symptoms align with Alzheimer’s neurodegenerative pattern, making this the correct diagnosis.
Choice C reason: Vascular dementia typically presents with stepwise cognitive decline and focal neurological signs, often with vascular risk factors. The patient’s gradual memory loss without such history better fits Alzheimer’s, making vascular dementia incorrect.
Choice D reason: Word-finding difficulties, as exhibited, are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s, reflecting language cortex involvement. This progressive aphasia, common in early stages, impairs communication, making it a correct clinical manifestation for this patient.
Choice E reason: Disorientation to time and place, though not explicitly stated, is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s, often emerging as memory declines. Given the patient’s MMSE score and symptoms, this is likely, making it a correct manifestation.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is ["A","B","D","E"]
Explanation
Choice A reason: Loss of short-term memory is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, as seen in the patient’s difficulty recalling recent events. This reflects early hippocampal damage, impairing new memory formation, making it a correct clinical manifestation for this diagnosis.
Choice B reason: Alzheimer’s disease is the most likely diagnosis, given progressive memory loss, word-finding difficulties, and an MMSE score of 20/30 in a 65-year-old. These symptoms align with Alzheimer’s neurodegenerative pattern, making this the correct diagnosis.
Choice C reason: Vascular dementia typically presents with stepwise cognitive decline and focal neurological signs, often with vascular risk factors. The patient’s gradual memory loss without such history better fits Alzheimer’s, making vascular dementia incorrect.
Choice D reason: Word-finding difficulties, as exhibited, are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s, reflecting language cortex involvement. This progressive aphasia, common in early stages, impairs communication, making it a correct clinical manifestation for this patient.
Choice E reason: Disorientation to time and place, though not explicitly stated, is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s, often emerging as memory declines. Given the patient’s MMSE score and symptoms, this is likely, making it a correct manifestation.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Choice A reason: The nasal compartment refers to the nasal cavity, not specific colored areas. Paranasal sinuses are air-filled cavities around the nose, often highlighted in anatomical diagrams, making this an incorrect term for the described structures.
Choice B reason: Paranasal sinuses, including frontal, ethmoid, sphenoid, and maxillary sinuses, are air-filled cavities around the nasal cavity, often colored in anatomical images. This matches the question’s reference to colored areas, making it the correct term.
Choice C reason: Runny nose describes a symptom (rhinorrhea), not anatomical structures. The question refers to colored areas, likely in a diagram, which aligns with sinuses, not a clinical condition, making this an incorrect choice.
Choice D reason: Olfactory bulbs are neural structures for smell, located above the nasal cavity, not typically colored as distinct areas in sinus diagrams. Paranasal sinuses are the highlighted structures, making this an incorrect term for the described areas.
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