Which symptom is most characteristic of Lewy body dementia that differentiates it from Alzheimer's disease?

Rationale: A. Recurrent visual hallucinations are a hallmark feature of Lewy body dementia (LBD) and occur early in the disease course. They often involve detailed, well-formed images of people or animals and help differentiate LBD from Alzheimer’s disease, where hallucinations usually appear later and are less prominent. This symptom reflects the underlying pathology of Lewy bodies in cortical and subcortical regions. B. While memory loss occurs in both LBD and Alzheimer’s disease, it is more pronounced early in Alzheimer’s disease. Memory impairment in LBD may be less severe initially, making this feature less distinctive for differentiation. C. Social cognition deficits are more characteristic of frontotemporal dementia rather than LBD. Patients with LBD may have fluctuating cognition, but early social cognition changes are not a defining feature. D. Language decline is a hallmark of primary progressive aphasia or advanced Alzheimer’s disease, not early Lewy body dementia. LBD primarily affects attention, visuospatial abilities, and executive function early on.