Early Alzheimer's Detection: Testing & Diagnosis

Alzheimer's disease is a brain disorder that causes dementia and a loss of mental abilities. The brain cells of Alzheimer's patients become damaged by abnormal proteins called plaques and tangles. This disease may be diagnosed with early testing.

Blood Tests

• According to the Mayo Clinic, doctors may prescribe blood tests for patients with dementia in order to rule out other medical conditions that can cause dementia, such as vitamin deficiencies or thyroid disorders.

Neuropsychological Tests

• Dementia can be diagnosed with several hours of testing that doctors may use to evaluate a patient's thinking and memory skills.

MRI

• A magnetic resonance imaging test, or MRI, may be used by doctors to create detailed images of a patient's brain that can show the damaging effects of Alzheimer's disease.

CT Scan

• A computerized tomography scan, or CT scan, is used to generate cross sectional x-ray images of the brain that can be used to detect brain damage that is caused by Alzheimer's disease.

PET Scan

• A positron emission tomography scan, or PET scan, can be performed by injecting radioactive material into a patient's bloodstream that travels to the brain. Scanning equipment is used to create images that show portions of the brain that are damaged and do not function properly.