A 71-Year-Old Woman Comes to the Office Due to a Recent

A 71-year-old woman comes to the office due to a recent concentration difficulties.  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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