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Department of Neurology

Houston, Texas

BCM neurologists see patients through the Baylor Clinic and some of the world's leading specialty clinics.
Department of Neurology
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Test Yourself — Patient #44

Thalamic (diencephalic) Amnesia

  1. Diencephalic structures thought to be involved in memory function include WHICH of the following:

    Amygdala
    Mammillary bodies
    Ventral posterolateral thalamic nuclei
    Dorsomedial frontal cortex
    More than one of the above

  2. Which of the following is MOST characteristic of a primary dementia?

    Selective impairment of memory, without involvement of other cognitive functions
    Waxing and waning (fluctuating) cortical dysfunction
    Rapid progression over less than two months
    Progression of deficits to involve multiple cognitive functions

  3. Severe verbal amnesia may result from any of the following processes EXCEPT:

    Trauma involving amygdala and hippocampus bilaterally
    Wernicke's encephalopathy with damage to the mammillary bodies
    Tumor involving the flocculonodular lobe of the cerebellum
    Ischemic stroke involving the anterior portion of the thalamus
    A primary dementing process involving the temporal lobes

  4. Absence of a multifocal pattern of reduced uptake on SPECT studies can generally be taken to exclude a vascular cause of cognitive deficits.

    True
    False

  5. Which of the following statements are TRUE:

    A clinical response to a cholinesterase inhibitor such as donepezil increases the likelihood of a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.
    Diminished social and occupational functioning in the elderly rarely occurs in the absence of a dementing illness.
    The patient's history of rheumatoid arthritis (requiring nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication use) increases her risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
    A and B
    None of the above

 

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