7th June 2023

You are asked to see a 65-year-old woman in a memory clinic. She has been referred with a three-month history of poor memory

You are asked to see a 65-year-old woman in a memory clinic. She has been referred with a three-month history of poor memory. Her past medical history is significant for hypertension, ischaemic heart disease and postpartum depression. Her husband died a year ago. On examination, you note that she has a flat affect and makes poor eye contact. She admits to a lack of motivation and poor sleep. During the consultation, she struggles with poor concentration and scores poorly on her Mini Mental State Examination, responding to many questions with ‘I don’t know’, but you notice that her performance is inconsistent and improves towards the end of the examination with repeated questioning.

Of the following options, which is the most likely diagnosis: