Which aspects of memory are typically tested in the mental status examination?

• A. Immediate recall, short-term memory, remote memory, and retention of new information.
• B. Only long-term memory and procedural memory.
• C. Visual memory only.
• D. Memory for non-personal factual information.

Answer: (A)

Memory in the mental status examination is assessed across several domains: immediate recall (testing working memory and attention by asking the patient to repeat new items right away), short-term or recent memory (retention of information over minutes), remote memory (personal and historical information from the distant past), and the ability to retain and later recall information that was just learned during the interview. This broad approach matters because different disorders affect different memory processes—some impair encoding or short-term storage, others affect long-term or autobiographical memory, and the capacity to learn new information is essential for daily functioning. The other options are narrower and miss key components: focusing only on long-term or procedural memory ignores immediate and new-learning aspects; visual memory alone omits verbal and autobiographical memory; and memory for non-personal factual information misses personal history and the learning of new information during the exam.