Limbic systemDownloads

A 78-year-old woman is brought to the physician by her son because of progressive memory loss for the past year. She feels tired and can no longer concentrate on her morning crossword puzzles. She has gained 11.3 kg (25 lb) in the last year. Her father died from complications of Alzheimer disease. She has a history of drinking alcohol excessively but has not consumed alcohol for the past 10 years. Vital signs are within normal limits. She is oriented but has short-term memory deficits. Examination shows a normal gait and delayed relaxation of the achilles reflex bilaterally. Her skin is dry and she has brittle nails. Which of the following is the most likely underlying etiology of this woman’s memory loss?

A 62-year-old man is brought to the emergency department because of headache, blurring of vision, and numbness of the right leg for the past 2 hours. He has hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Current medications include enalapril and metformin. He is oriented only to person. His temperature is 37.3°C (99.1°F), pulse is 99/min and blood pressure is 158/94 mm Hg. Examination shows equal pupils that are reactive to light. Muscle strength is normal in all extremities. Deep tendon reflexes are 2+ bilaterally. Sensation to fine touch and position is decreased over the right lower extremity. The confrontation test shows loss of the nasal field in the left eye and the temporal field in the right eye with macular sparing. He is unable to read phrases shown to him but can write them when they are dictated to him. He has short-term memory deficits. Which of the following is the most likely cause for this patient's symptoms?