A patient suffering from a progressive neurological disorder is brought to a neurologist for diagnosis. The neurologist notes that the patient's MRI reveals a great deal of cortical atrophy and suspects that the problem may be Alzheimer's disease. Which of the following symptoms, if also discovered, would confirm this diagnosis?
A)tremors and difficulty in initiating movement
B)double vision
C)loss of dopaminergic neurons in the basal ganglia
D)presence of amyloid plaques during postmortem examination of the brain

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The presence of amyloid plaques during a postmortem examination of the brain is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease and would confirm the diagnosis. Tremors and difficulty in initiating movement are associated with Parkinson's disease, double vision may indicate a problem with the cranial nerves or muscle function, and loss of dopaminergic neurons in the basal ganglia is also associated with Parkinson's disease.

A Patient Suffering from a Progressive Neurological Disorder Is Brought