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- What is Alzheimer's disease?
- Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease
- Causes of Alzheimer's disease
- Prevention of Alzheimer's disease
- Risk factors for Alzheimer's disease
- Complications of Alzheimer's disease
- When to see a doctor about Alzheimer's disease
- Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease
- Conventional treatment of Alzheimer's disease
- Alternative/complementary treatment of Alzheimer's disease
- Living with Alzheimer's disease
- Caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease
Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease is initially diagnosed through the following tests:
- Medical history - the doctor will ask a number of questions about symptoms, when they started, the duration, the severity and how often they occur. If the condition is at a moderately severe stage, the person affected with the Alzheimer's disease will need a family member (or carer) to answer these questions and follow up with other diagnoses and treatments
- Physical examination - the doctor may do a routine check of the heart and lungs with a stethoscope (to listen to the heart and lungs) as well as a blood pressure test, to determine if blood pressure is normal
- Blood test - a blood test can be requested as part of the initial diagnosis to rule out any other reasons for the dementia symptoms, such as nutrition deficiencies (especially vitamin B3, but also others) and to also rule out conditions of the thyroid, which may cause some psychological symptoms such as forgetfulness
The only way to definitively diagnose Alzheimer's disease is at death, when the brain can be thoroughly examined for the plaque deposits which are associated with Alzheimer's disease. Not every case of this disease will ever be properly diagnosed as the symptoms may be too mild, or onset may occur just prior to death of another condition.
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There are also a number of other diagnostic tests which can be done to help with diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease:
- CAT scan - a CAT (computerised tomography) scan uses low level x-rays to produce cross-sectional images of the brain which may help to diagnose Alzheimer's disease
- MRI - an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machine uses radio waves an a magnetic field to produce images of the brain which may be able to give an indication of the progression of the Alzheimer's disease
- Neuropsychological testing - this is a special test which is used in some cases to get a clearer picture of the damage to the brain and cognitive functioning at the early stage of Alzheimer's disease (and other dementia). In this test, which may last 2-3 hours, an assessment is made of thinking, memory and analytical skills to provide a better diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease
- PET scan - a PET scan (positron emission tomography) is similar to an MRI or CAT scan, except in the PET scan, you are first injected with a special, low level radioactive isotope into your veins, which travels to the brain, while you lie on a table and the PET scanner overhead transmits the images of your brain to the technician. This test is most useful in determining the type of dementia in the brain
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