Which cognitive issue is most likely present in a patient with hippocampal damage due to anoxic brain injury two months later?

The correct choice focuses on the specific functions of the hippocampus, which is critically involved in memory formation, particularly in the consolidation of new information. In cases of hippocampal damage due to anoxic brain injury, patients typically experience significant challenges in acquiring new memories and recalling facts that were learned after the injury occurred.

Two months after such an injury, the most pronounced cognitive deficit would be in the ability to learn and recall new facts. This aligns with the typical clinical presentation associated with hippocampal damage, where patients can often retain older memories that were encoded before the injury but struggle significantly with new learning and memory tasks.

Damage to the hippocampus disrupts the process of converting short-term memories into long-term storage, leading to profound anterograde amnesia. Thus, the inability to learn and recall new facts is a direct consequence of the dysfunction in the hippocampus following anoxic injury.