Neuroscience MCAT Practice Question
A 68-year-old man presents with a 3-year history of progressive bradykinesia, resting tremor, and rigidity. Over the past year, he has developed visual hallucinations and fluctuating cognition. His wife reports he has become increasingly forgetful and has episodes of confusion alternating with lucidity. On examination, he has a shuffling gait and masked facies. Brain MRI shows mild generalized atrophy without focal lesions. Neuropathological examination reveals alpha-synuclein-positive Lewy bodies throughout the substantia nigra, limbic system, and neocortex. Which diagnosis best explains this clinical and pathological presentation?
Answer choices
- AAlzheimer's disease
- BParkinson's disease
- CLewy body dementiaCorrect answer
- DParkinson's disease with incidental cognitive impairment
- EFrontotemporal dementia
- FVascular dementia with secondary parkinsonism
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