Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease

The doctor will first determine whether the patient has any of the following problems:

1) Memory lapses,
2) Difficulty using language,
3) Problems learning and retaining new information,
4) Difficulty following directions or handling complex tasks,
5) Episodes of poor judgment or unusual or risky behaviors.

The doctor will perform a neurological examination (to check the brain and nerves), as well as a brief mental state examination, which includes visual, writing and memory testing. He would also check for other illnesses that can cause symptoms that resemble Alzheimer's disease. Testing may include blood tests to make sure that blood chemistry and the levels of vitamin B-12 and thyroid hormone are normal.

In some cases, the doctor may order a brain imaging study to be more certain that there is not some other reason for the symptoms. The results of a computed tomography (CT) scan, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan and a positron emission tomography (PET) scan cannot diagnose Alzheimer's with certainty.