Which of the following is a sign of dementia?

Which of the following is a sign of dementia?

• A. Hallucinations
• B. Hunger pains
• C. Bright memory
• D. Normal speech

Answer: (A)

Hallucinations reflect altered perception that can accompany certain dementias, especially Lewy body dementia, where seeing things that aren’t there is a common early feature. This happens as the brain’s processing of sensory information becomes disrupted by the disease. Hunger pains are unrelated to cognitive decline and reflect bodily needs. A “bright memory” doesn’t align with dementia, which typically involves memory problems rather than exceptionally strong recall. Normal speech can occur early in some conditions but isn’t a reliable sign of dementia, since language difficulties often develop as the condition progresses.

Hallucinations reflect altered perception that can accompany certain dementias, especially Lewy body dementia, where seeing things that aren’t there is a common early feature. This happens as the brain’s processing of sensory information becomes disrupted by the disease. Hunger pains are unrelated to cognitive decline and reflect bodily needs. A “bright memory” doesn’t align with dementia, which typically involves memory problems rather than exceptionally strong recall. Normal speech can occur early in some conditions but isn’t a reliable sign of dementia, since language difficulties often develop as the condition progresses.