Diagnosing Alzheimer’s Disease
Dementia is a brain disorder that seriously affects a person’s ability to carry out daily activities. The most common form of dementia among older people is Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which initially involves the parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language. Although scientists are learning more every day, right now they still do not know what causes AD, and there is no cure.Symptoms
The early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) may be overlooked because they resemble signs of natural aging. Older adults who begin to notice a persistent mild memory loss of recent events may have a condition called mild cognitive impairment (MCI). MCI is now believed to be a significant sign of early-stage Alzheimer’s in older people.
Disgnosis
Disease Alzheimer’s can be particularly difficult to diagnose. In fact, an Alzheimer’s diagnoses cannot be confirmed until after death, when the brain can be autopsied and shown to possess damage on a cellular level. The first difficulty in achieving diagnoses can be the patient themselves. Patients often attribute the symptoms of Alzheimer’s to simply “getting old,” or in most cases, they may be unaware of the changes in their behaviour.
Blood Tests Used in the Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease
Although science is getting closer, there’s still no simple test for Alzheimer’s disease. Instead, physicians rule out other causes of symptoms such as memory loss, confusion, and difficulty executing simple tasks. Alzheimer’s diagnosis almost always includes blood testing. Learn more about the blood tests involved with Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis and what else these tests may discover.
Physical Examination
A physical examination can determine whether medical problems may be causing symptoms of dementia. This is important because prompt treatment may relieve some symptoms.
Mental Status Assessment
Several other tests may be used to assess your mental status. These tests usually have only a few simple questions. They test mental functioning, including orientation, attention, memory, and language skills. Age, educational level, and cultural influences may affect how you perform on mental status tests. Your doctor will consider these factors in interpreting test results.
New diagnostic measures include a clinical core of early, progressive and significant episodic memory loss plus one or more abnormal biomarkers (biological indicators) characteristic of AD, including atrophy (wasting) of the temporal lobe as shown on Magnetic Resonance Imaging; abnormal amyloid Beta protein concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid; a specific pattern showing reduced glucose metabolism on Positron Emission Tomography scans of the brain; and a genetic mutation for AD within the immediate family.
Consult Your Doctor
There’s a tremendous fear of Alzheimer’s. People are afraid and confused. They want to blame aging even when they can tell that other people their age aren’t having the same problems. People hide their symptoms, or spouses cover for them. There’s a fear of losing control. They don’t want to give up their driving privileges or go in a nursing home. But just because you have a memory problem doesn’t mean you can’t drive a car. A lot of independence can be retained.
