Differential Diagnosis for Immediate Memory Impairment
Single Most Likely Diagnosis
- Alzheimer's Disease: The most common cause of memory impairment, especially in the elderly, characterized by progressive decline in cognitive function, including immediate memory loss.
Other Likely Diagnoses
- Vascular Dementia: Second most common cause of dementia, resulting from reduced blood flow to the brain, often presenting with stepwise decline in cognitive function, including memory.
- Depression: Can cause significant impairment in attention and memory, often referred to as pseudodementia, which is reversible with treatment of the underlying depression.
- Medication Side Effects: Various medications, such as sedatives, anticholinergics, and some antidepressants, can impair immediate memory as a side effect.
- Sleep Disorders: Conditions like sleep apnea, insomnia, or restless leg syndrome can significantly affect memory and cognitive function due to lack of quality sleep.
Do Not Miss Diagnoses
- Hypothyroidism: Although less common, hypothyroidism can cause cognitive impairments, including memory issues, and is important to diagnose due to its treatable nature.
- Vitamin B12 Deficiency: Can lead to neurological symptoms, including memory loss, and is crucial to identify as supplementation can reverse symptoms.
- Subdural Hematoma: Especially in the elderly, even minor head trauma can lead to a subdural hematoma, which can cause sudden onset of memory impairment and other neurological deficits.
- Infections (e.g., Meningitis, Encephalitis): Acute infections of the central nervous system can present with sudden memory impairment among other symptoms, requiring immediate medical attention.
Rare Diagnoses
- Frontotemporal Dementia: A group of diseases characterized by the progressive degeneration of the frontal and/or temporal lobes of the brain, leading to significant changes in personality, behavior, and language, as well as memory.
- Korsakoff Syndrome: A brain disorder usually associated with heavy, long-term alcohol consumption, leading to memory loss, both in learning new information and remembering recent events.
- Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: A rare, degenerative, fatal brain disorder, causing memory loss, behavioral changes, poor coordination, and visual disturbances.
- Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH): Characterized by the triad of gait disturbance, dementia, and urinary incontinence, with memory impairment being a significant component of the dementia.