Question

What are the symptoms of increasing forgetfulness in a patient with epicanthic folds, flat facial profiles, macroglossia, and simian creases?

1) Memory loss and difficulty in learning
2) Impaired cognitive function
3) Speech and language difficulties
4) All of the above

Answer 1

The symptoms of increasing forgetfulness in a patient with physical signs suggestive of Down syndrome include memory loss, impaired cognitive function, and speech and language difficulties.

Step-by-step explanation:

Patients experiencing symptoms such as increasing forgetfulness, along with physical characteristics like epicanthic folds, flat facial profiles, macroglossia, and simian creases, likely have Down syndrome. The described symptoms can manifest as:

• Memory loss and difficulty in learning
• Impaired cognitive function
• Speech and language difficulties

All of these are indicative of the cognitive impairment often associated with Down syndrome. It is important to differentiate these from other neurological conditions such as prosopagnosia, which is more about face recognition, and expressive aphasia, where the ability to produce language is lost. Cognitive function in Down syndrome can be impacted in several ways, including episodic memory and the ability to plan and execute tasks.