Which of the following signs and symptoms is due to normal age-related change rather than dementia?

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Forgetting someone's name but remembering it later is a sign that can be attributed to normal age-related changes in cognitive function. As individuals age, it's common for them to experience occasional lapses in memory, such as difficulty recalling names or specific words, but these instances do not indicate a severe decline in cognitive abilities. The individual typically still has the ability to recall the information later, signifying that their memory functions are largely intact and that the brain is still capable of retrieving information, albeit with some delays.

In contrast, the other options—including forgetting how to perform tasks that were previously familiar, calling objects by incorrect names, and getting lost in familiar places—often signify more significant cognitive decline. These behaviors are more characteristic of dementia, which involves progressive loss of cognitive functions and may indicate underlying neurodegenerative changes. Thus, option B distinctly aligns with the more benign cognitive changes associated with aging, differentiating it from the cognitive impairments indicative of dementia.

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