People who begin to feel that something may be wrong will often visit their primary care physician or family doctor for a consultation and/or diagnosis. If the family doctor suspects dementia, he or she may begin treatment or refer the person to a neurologist or geriatric psychiatrist who specializes in diagnosing and treating different types of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.
Diagnostic Tests and Tools
Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is most often made in the moderate stage. To diagnose Alzheimer's disease, doctors use a series of tests and tools to evaluate thinking, behavior and physical function because there is no single scale that can definitively diagnose Alzheimer's disease by itself.
Diagnostic tests may include:
- Clock Drawing Test
- Mini–Mental State Examination (MMSE)
- Functional Assessment Staging (FAST)
In addition, a doctor may conduct:
- Medical and family health history
- A routine physical exam, with blood and urine tests (to rule out potential other causes of memory loss)
- An exam that tests physical sensation, sense of balance, and other functions controlled by the central nervous system
- A brain scan, to rule out other causes of dementia, such as stroke
- A psychiatric evaluation, to assess mood and other emotional factors that may lead to a positive Alzheimer's diagnosis
- Interviews with family members and friends that provide insight into behavioral changes
Making the Alzheimer's Diagnosis
- The information learned from these tests helps determine whether a person has Alzheimer's disease, with an accuracy rate of about 90 percent. Doctors will determine that a person is highly likely to have Alzheimer's disease when these tests show that he or she has:
- Dementia confirmed by medical and psychological exams
- Problems in at least two areas of mental functioning
- Progressive loss of memory and other mental functions
- Symptoms that began between the ages of 40 and 90
- No other disorders that might account for the dementia (such as vascular dementia or Huntington's disease)21
To learn more about slowing the progression of Alzheimer's with Namenda, along with additional Alzheimer's resources, click on the link that best describes your current Alzheimer's treatment situation.
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After the Alzheimer's Diagnosis
Recognizing the warning signs and finding a doctor who understands the various aspects of Alzheimer's and the medications approved to treat it are very important steps to helping you provide the best Alzheimer's care possible.
Once you receive an Alzheimer's diagnosis, talk with the doctor about Namenda® (memantine HCl)*, a different way to treat Alzheimer's disease. Namenda works in an entirely unique way than other currently available Alzheimer's medications, and offers new therapy in the category of Alzheimer's disease treatment.10
