$Unique_ID{BRK01596}
$Pretitle{Mental and Emotional Conditions}
$Title{How Do Doctors Diagnose Alzheimer's Disease?}
$Subject{Alzheimer's diagnosis}
$Volume{E-1}
$Log{}

Copyright (c) 1991   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


How Do Doctors Diagnose Alzheimer's Disease?


------------------------------------------------------------------------------

QUESTION:  With all the mental and emotional changes that are said to take
place as we age, it must be difficult to tell when a person has Alzheimer's
Disease.  It is important for me to know how doctors do diagnose Alzheimer's
Disease?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ANSWER:  That's an important question, because Alzheimer's Disease accounts
for more than half of all cases of dementia.  Because there is no specific
test that identifies this condition (although there are some now being
studied), the diagnosis is made by excluding other possibilities through a
very complete and comprehensive medical and psychiatric evaluation.  A
detailed history (including a complete inventory of all drugs the patient
takes) and a thorough mental status examination are the most important
components of the evaluation.
     Symptoms of Alzheimer's include impaired intellectual functioning, memory
loss, difficulty in recognizing or recalling the names of objects, and
impaired visual ability to distinguish the relationships of objects around us.
Electroencephalogram (EEG) slowing also appears in the middle stages of the
disease.
     In addition, the diagnostic evaluation should include a neurological
examination, a psychosocial assessment of the patient's environment, a number
of lab tests, and a CT scan.  Six to twelve months after the initial
evaluation, the patient should be retested.  So you can see the process is a
long and difficult one.  The patient should be followed up until the physician
has had the time necessary to make a diagnosis with reasonable certainty.
ÿ
----------------

The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace 
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your 
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical 
problem.
