The PMHNP is treating an 81-year-old man believed to have dementia. She asks him questions about memories that his family has described as prominent aspects of his life. The patient is unable to recall any of these memories. Which area of the brain is affected?

Choice A reason: The hippocampus is central to the formation and retrieval of long-term memories. Impairment in this region leads to significant anterograde and retrograde memory deficits seen in dementia. Choice B reason: The hypothalamus regulates homeostasis and autonomic functions but does not play a primary role in memory recall. Choice C reason: The thalamus acts as a relay station for sensory and motor signals and contributes to attention and consciousness but is not the main center for episodic memory retrieval. Choice D reason: The amygdala is involved in emotion, fear responses, and emotional memory processing, not the recall of specific episodic memories.