Diagnosing Alzheimer's Diseases

The earliest signs of AD are usually first noticed by a friend or relative. If you or someone close to you is experiencing any of the common symptoms of Alzheimer's, it is important to see a doctor as early as possible to determine the cause. Memory loss can be caused by a number of things, some of which may be reversible.

To establish a clinical diagnosis of AD, doctors focus on ruling out all other possible causes of symptoms. This process of elimination helps them determine whether AD—or something else—might be the cause of the symptoms. Your doctor should perform the following evaluations:

Medical history—current medical or psychological conditions, including a thorough review of personal and family health history and medications being used
Neurological examination—assesses one's sense of time and place, ability to remember, understand and communicate, and complete simple calculations
Physical examination—evaluation of nutritional status, blood pressure, and pulse rate
If these initial examinations don't reveal a clear problem, additional tests might include:

Brain imaging scans, such as MRI or CT, to look for telltale brain changes
Laboratory tests, including blood and urine tests to try to identify blood-based or hormonal irregularities
More extensive neuropsychological evaluations, which might include tests of memory, reasoning, vision-motor coordination, and language function
Psychiatric evaluations, to assess mood and other emotional factors
A diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is usually said to be either:

Probable: This means that all other disorders that may cause dementia have been ruled out; or

Possible: AD is suspected, but other causes cannot be ruled out.