Understanding Alzheimer's Diagnosis: What to Expect

Alzheimer's disease causes a loss of social and intellectual abilities when healthy brain tissue begins to degenerate. Patients will have memory loss which gets worse over time. They will also experience a decline in their mental abilities. Nearly half of all people over the age of 85 have Alzheimer's disease, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease include memory loss, loss of judgment, disorientation, trouble doing routine tasks such as cooking and trouble expressing thoughts.

Personality Changes

• Alzheimer's disease can cause changes in personality including mood swings, anxiety, aggressiveness, depression, stubbornness and social withdrawal.

Diagnosis

• Alzheimer's disease is diagnosed using blood tests to rule out other causes of dementia such as vitamin deficiencies. Neuropsychological tests are used to diagnose problems with thinking and memory.

Diagnostic Testing

• MRI, CT scans and brain scans are used to look for abnormalities such as bleeding or tumors. A positron emission tomography (PET) scan is used to show which parts of the brain aren't working properly.

Treatment

• Treating Alzheimer's disease includes a group of medicines called cholinesterase inhibitors which improve neurotransmitter levels. Another drug called Namenda protects brain cells from damage.