30th November 2023

An 82-year-old woman, Julia, attends your GP practice with her daughter

An 82-year-old woman, Julia, attends your GP practice with her daughter, who is worried about her mother’s memory. The daughter is concerned about her mother’s memory as she has been forgetting appointments and recent conversations, requiring reminders frequently. Upon conversing with Julia, she discloses that she has been experiencing a reduced appetite and waking up earlier than usual. However, she denies experiencing any hallucinations. She has also had a hospital admission recently for UTI, where her daughter felt she was confused.

Julia scores 24 on MMSE; you notice she’s not able to fully concentrate on your questions; the majority of her replies are ‘I don’t know’, which seems to frustrate Julia.

What is the most likely underlying diagnosis?

Select the SINGLE most appropriate option from the list below. Select ONE option only.