Which pattern of memory performance is considered a normal age-related change rather than evidence of a neurocognitive disorder in an elderly person?
- A Slowed retrieval of familiar names and facts, with accurate recognition when given cues ✓
- B Inability to form new memories even when items are repeated several times
- C Getting lost while walking in previously familiar neighbourhood streets
- D Forgetting the names of close family members whom the patient sees daily
Correct answer: A. Slowed retrieval of familiar names and facts, with accurate recognition when given cues
Explanation
Normal ageing produces slower processing speed and slower free recall, so older people take longer to retrieve names and dates, but recognition is intact and cueing helps them retrieve the material. Failure to encode new information despite repetition, topographic disorientation in familiar places, and forgetting close family members all indicate pathological neurocognitive decline rather than benign senescence. This complaint-versus-performance gap also separates normal ageing from dementia.
Reference: Kaplan and Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry, 11th ed.
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Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.