Final answer:
Vascular dementia is characterized by memory that is not always impaired, focal deficits, gait disturbances, and executive function impairment. It is different from other dementias like Alzheimer's disease, which prominently features disruptive memory loss and the presence of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles inside neurons.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of dementia characterized by memory not always being impaired, focal deficits, gait disturbance, and executive function impairment is Vascular dementia (answer b). Vascular dementia is associated with problems in circulation of blood to the brain and often results in symptoms such as difficulty with complex tasks, confusion, unsteady gait, and sometimes stroke-like events that can cause additional impairments. Symptoms related to Alzheimer's disease typically include disruptive memory loss, confusion about time or place, and difficulty with planning or executing tasks. In contrast to Vascular dementia, Alzheimer's disease involves a progressive dying off of nerve cells leading to severe memory loss, as well as the presence of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles inside neurons as hallmarks. Lewy body dementia can also present with impaired memory but is more commonly associated with symptoms similar to Parkinson's Disease, such as slowed movements and rigid muscles.