A patient exhibits progressive cognitive deficits with difficulty remembering and completing basic self-care tasks. Which diagnosis is most likely?

• A. dementia
• B. dysarthria
• C. apraxia of speech
• D. aphasia

Answer: (A)

Progressive cognitive decline with memory loss and difficulty performing basic self-care tasks signals a syndrome that impairs global cognition and daily functioning—dementia. Dementia involves steadily worsening memory, orientation, and judgment, leading to problems with activities of daily living. The other conditions affect speech or language rather than overall cognitive decline: dysarthria is a motor speech disorder causing slurred speech; apraxia of speech is a motor planning problem for speech; aphasia is a language impairment impacting speaking, comprehension, reading, or writing, often without generalized cognitive decline. So the described pattern best fits dementia.