Mild cognitive impairment — MCQs

A group of neurologists develop a new blood test for Alzheimer's. They are optimistic about the test, as they have found that for any given patient, the test repeatedly produces very similar results. However, they find that the new test results are not necessarily consistent with the gold standard of diagnosis. How would this new test most accurately be described?

A 72-year-old man is brought to the physician by his wife for memory issues over the last 7 months. The patient's wife feels that he has gradually become more forgetful. He commonly misplaces his car keys and forgets his children's names. He seems to have forgotten how to make dinner and sometimes serves uncooked noodles or raw meat. One night he parked his car in a neighbor's bushes and was found wandering the street. He has a history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and COPD. Current medications include atorvastatin, metoprolol, ipratropium, and fluticasone. Vital signs are within normal limits. He is alert and oriented to person and place only. Neurologic examination shows no focal findings. His Mini-Mental State Examination score is 19/30. A complete blood count and serum concentrations of electrolytes, urea nitrogen, creatinine, thyroid-stimulating hormone, liver function tests, vitamin B12 (cobalamin), and folate are within the reference range. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in diagnosis?

An 80-year-old woman is brought to the physician by her 2 daughters for worsening memory loss. They report that their mother is increasingly forgetful about recent conversations and events. She is unable to remember her appointments and commitments she has made. 3 years ago, the patient was moved into an elder care facility because she was often getting lost on her way home and forgetting to take her medications. The patient reports that she is very socially active at her new home and has long conversations with the other residents about her adventures as an air hostess during her youth. Which of the following cerebral pathologies is most likely present in this patient?

A 63-year-old woman is brought to the clinic by her husband with complaints of cognitive decline. The patient's husband says that she has had intermittent problems with her memory for the past few years. He says she has occasional 'bad days' where her memory deteriorates to the point where she cannot perform activities of daily living. She is also sometimes found conversing in an empty room and, when inquired, she confirms that she is talking to a friend. There have also been some recent falls. There is no history of fever, recent head trauma, loss of consciousness, or illicit drug use. Past medical history is significant for bronchial asthma and osteoarthritis, both managed medically. Her mother died due to metastatic breast cancer at age 71 and her father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease at age 65. The patient is afebrile and her vital signs are within normal limits. Physical examination reveals a tremor present in both her hands that attenuates with voluntary movement. Deep tendon reflexes are 2+ bilaterally. Romberg's sign is negative. She has a slow gait with a mild stooped posture. Her laboratory findings are significant for the following: Hemoglobin 12.9 g/dL White cell count 8,520/mm³ Platelets 295,000/mm³ Serum creatinine 1.0 mg/dL Glucose 94 mg/dL Sodium 141 mEq/L Potassium 3.9 mEq/L Calcium 92 mg/dL Ferritin 125 ng/mL Serum B12 305 ng/L TSH 2.1 µU/mL Ceruloplasmin 45 mg/dL Which of the following is the most appropriate management for this patient?

A 69-year-old woman is brought to the physician by her daughter because of increasing forgetfulness and generalized fatigue over the past 4 months. She is unable to remember recent events and can no longer recognize familiar people. She lives independently, but her daughter has hired a helper in the past month since the patient has found it difficult to shop or drive by herself. She has stopped attending family functions and refuses to visit the neighborhood clubhouse, where she used to conduct game nights for the residents. She has had a 7-kg (15-lb) weight gain over this period. She is alert and oriented to time, place, and person. Her temperature is 36°C (97.6°F), pulse is 54/min, and blood pressure is 122/80 mm Hg. Mental status examination shows impaired attention and concentration; she has difficulty repeating seven digits forward and five in reverse sequence. She cannot recall any of the 3 objects shown to her after 10 minutes. She has no delusions or hallucinations. Further evaluation is most likely to show which of the following?

A 82-year-old woman is brought to the physician by her son because he is concerned about her forgetfulness for the past 2 years. She occasionally walks into a room and forgets why she went there and often forgets where she left her keys. She is sometimes unable to recall a familiar individual's name. She reports that she has become slower at completing sudoku puzzles. She has been living independently since the death of her husband 3 years ago. She goes shopping, cooks her own meals, and plays bridge with her friends every weekend. She is not anxious about her memory lapses. She has no trouble sleeping but has been getting up earlier than she used to. She has hypertension that is managed with hydrochlorothiazide. She appears healthy. Vital signs are within normal limits. She is oriented to person, place, and time. Examination shows a normal gait. She describes her mood as “good” and her speech is normal. Her thought process is organized and her judgement is intact. She makes one error when performing serial sevens. The remainder of the examination shows no abnormalities. Which of the following is the most likely cause of this patient's symptoms?

A 28-year-old male presents to his primary care physician with complaints of intermittent abdominal pain and alternating bouts of constipation and diarrhea. His medical chart is not significant for any past medical problems or prior surgeries. He is not prescribed any current medications. Which of the following questions would be the most useful next question in eliciting further history from this patient?

A 78-year-old man is brought to the physician by his daughter for a follow-up examination. The daughter noticed that he has gradually become more forgetful and withdrawn over the last year. He frequently misplaces his car keys and forgets the names of his neighbors, whom he has known for 30 years. He has difficulty recalling his address and telephone number. He recently had an episode of urinary and fecal incontinence. Last week, his neighbor found him wandering the parking lot of the grocery store. He has hypertension and hyperlipidemia. He had smoked one pack of cigarettes daily for 40 years but quit 18 years ago. His current medications include hydrochlorothiazide and atorvastatin. He appears healthy; BMI is 23 kg/m2. His temperature is 37.2°C (99.0°F), pulse is 86/min, respirations are 14/min, and blood pressure is 136/84 mm Hg. Mini-mental state examination score is 19/30. He is not bothered by his forgetfulness. Cranial nerves II–XII are intact. He has 5/5 strength and full sensation to light touch in all extremities. His patellar, Achilles, and biceps reflexes are 2+ bilaterally. His gait is steady. MRI scan of the brain shows ventriculomegaly and prominent cerebral sulci. Which of the following is the most appropriate pharmacotherapy?

A 68-year-old man seeks evaluation by a physician with complaints of worsening forgetfulness and confusion for 1 year. According to his wife, he has always been in good health and is generally very happy; however, he has started to forget important things. He recently had his driving license revoked because of multiple tickets, but he cannot recall having done anything wrong. This morning, he neglected to put on his socks and was quite agitated when she pointed this out to him. He denies having a depressed mood, sleep problems, or loss of interest. He occasionally has a glass of wine with dinner and has never smoked or used recreational drugs. His medical history and family medical history are unremarkable. His pulse is 68/min, respirations are 14/min, and blood pressure is 130/84 mm Hg. Except for a mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score of 20/30, the remainder of the physical examination is unremarkable. Imaging studies, including a chest X-ray and CT of the brain, reveal no pathologic findings. An electrocardiogram (ECG) is also normal. Laboratory testing showed the following: Serum glucose (fasting) 76 mg/dL Serum electrolytes: Sodium 140 mEq/L Potassium 4.1 mEq/L Chloride 100 mEq/L Serum creatinine 0.9 mg/dL Blood urea nitrogen 11 mg/dL Cholesterol, total: 180 mg/dL HDL-cholesterol 45 mg/dL LDL-cholesterol 75 mg/dL Triglycerides 135 mg/dL Hemoglobin (Hb%) 16 g/dL Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) 85 fL Reticulocyte count 0.9% Erythrocyte count 5 million/mm³ Thyroid-stimulating hormone 3.5 µU/mL Urinalysis Glucose Negative Ketones Negative Leucocytes Negative Nitrite Negative RBCs Negative Casts Negative Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

A patient with second-degree cervical prolapse complains of dribbling of urine when coughing. What is the most likely diagnosis?