What type of memory is more severely affected by Alzheimer's disease?

The correct answer is that short-term memory is more severely affected by Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease primarily impacts cognitive functions, starting with the formation of new memories. Individuals with this condition often struggle to retain new information after it has been presented, which is characteristic of short-term memory deficits.

This impairment occurs because short-term memory relies on the brain's ability to hold onto information for brief periods, and in Alzheimer's, the processes involved in creating and managing these temporary memories become disrupted early in the disease. As the disease progresses, patients might also experience difficulties with long-term memory, particularly recalling recent events or learned information, but the initial and most profound impact is typically observed in short-term memory functions.

Recent memory is a subset of short-term memory; thus, it is also affected but not in isolation from short-term memory as a whole. Visual memory may not be as severely impacted in the early stages as it involves different neural processes and regions. The progressive nature of Alzheimer's disease means that as it advances, multiple types of memory may be affected, but the hallmark symptom usually begins with challenges in short-term memory.