How is Alzheimers disease diagnosed?
Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia but is not necessarily caused by the same factors which cause other forms of dementia. However, despite a considerable amount of research, the actual cause of the disease remains unknown. There is no single test to determine whether someone has Alzheimer’s disease. It is diagnosed by a process of elimination, as well as a careful examination of a person’s physical and mental state, rather than by finding actual evidence of the disease.
An early, accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease helps patients and their families plan for the future. It gives them time to discuss care while the patient can still take part in making decisions. Early diagnosis will also offer the best chance to treat the symptoms of the disease. Today, the only definite way to diagnose Alzheimer’s Disease is to find out whether there are plaques and tangles in brain tissue. To look at brain tissue, however, doctors usually must wait until they do an autopsy, which is an examination of the body done after a person dies. Therefore, doctors can only make a diagnosis of “possible” or “probable” AD while the person is still alive. At specialized centers, doctors can diagnose Alzheimer’s Disease correctly up to 90 percent of the time. Doctors use several tools to diagnose “probable” Alzheimer’s Disease, including: • Questions about the person’s general health, past medical problems, and ability to carry out daily activities • Tests of memory, problem
Today, the only definite way to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease is to find out whether there are plaques and tangles in brain tissue. To look at brain tissue, however, doctors must usually wait until they do an autopsy, which is an examination of the body done after a person dies. Therefore, doctors can only make a diagnosis of “possible” or “probable” Alzheimer’s disease while the person is still alive. At specialized centers, doctors can diagnose Alzheimer’s disease correctly up to 90 percent of the time.
