Neurodegenerative Diseases USMLE Step 1 Practice Question
A 74-year-old woman presents with an 18-month history of progressive short-term memory loss and difficulty learning new information. Vital signs are stable (BP 138/82, HR 72, RR 16, Temp 37°C, SpO2 98%). MRI demonstrates diffuse cortical atrophy predominantly affecting temporal and parietal lobes with preserved hippocampal volume. Mini-Cog score is 2/3. She denies visual hallucinations or parkinsonism. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?
Answer choices
- AWernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
- BAlzheimer diseaseCorrect answer
- CFrontotemporal dementia
- DLewy body dementia
- ENormal pressure hydrocephalus
- FCreutzfeldt-Jakob disease
See the full explanation
Get the correct-answer rationale, why each distractor is wrong, the underlying mechanism, and high-yield associations — plus adaptive practice that targets your weak areas — with a free MedBoardPRO account.