A 67-Year-Old Woman Comes to the Office Due to Difficulty

A 67-year-old woman comes to the office due to difficulty concentrating.  She reports repeatedly reading the same page of material due to an inability to focus.  She also describes memory problems, stating that it "takes a while to remember another person's name."  The patient's medical history is significant for hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus.  These are well controlled through diet, exercise, and oral medications.  She lives alone and describes her mood as "good."  Blood pressure is 127/67 mm Hg and pulse is 65/min.  The physician decides to administer a brief cognitive test to assess her difficulty in concentrating.  Which of the following elements of cognitive testing would best assess for impaired attention and concentration in this patient?

A) Following a brief 3-step command
B) Recalling 3 unrelated words after 5 minutes
C) Reciting months of the year backwards
D) Remembering past events
E) Writing a complete sentence

Correct Answer:

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