Early stage Alzheimer disease is characterized by which finding?

Early stage Alzheimer disease is characterized by which finding?

• A. Short-term memory loss and disorientation to time and date
• B. Sundowning
• C. Inability to communicate
• D. Inability to perform ADLs

Answer: (A)

Early Alzheimer disease presents mainly with short-term memory loss and disorientation to time and date. This reflects difficulty forming new memories and keeping track of recent events, while older memories can remain intact early on. As the disease progresses, other symptoms emerge: sundowning (increased confusion in the evening) tends to appear later, language and communication difficulties develop with more advanced disease, and the ability to perform activities of daily living diminishes as impairment becomes more widespread. Thus, the combination of recent-memory impairment with time orientation loss is the hallmark of the early stage.

Early Alzheimer disease presents mainly with short-term memory loss and disorientation to time and date. This reflects difficulty forming new memories and keeping track of recent events, while older memories can remain intact early on. As the disease progresses, other symptoms emerge: sundowning (increased confusion in the evening) tends to appear later, language and communication difficulties develop with more advanced disease, and the ability to perform activities of daily living diminishes as impairment becomes more widespread. Thus, the combination of recent-memory impairment with time orientation loss is the hallmark of the early stage.