In Alzheimer's disease, which memory pattern is typical?

• A. Long-Term memory loss with preserved short-term memory.
• B. Short-Term memory loss with preserved long-term memory.
• C. All memory preserved.
• D. No memory loss.

Answer: (B)

In Alzheimer’s disease, the hallmark memory pattern is that forming and recalling new information is difficult early on, so short-term or recently learned memories are impaired. At the same time, memories from the distant past—long-term memories that have already been stored—are typically preserved in the early stages. This means a person may forget recent conversations or events but can still remember childhood memories or older, well-established facts. As the disease progresses, long-term memories can deteriorate too, but the initial pattern is short-term memory disruption with relatively preserved long-term memory.