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Diagnosis of Probable Alzheimer’s Disease

Article by John Trevey

Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive, degenerative disorder that causes dementia, currently can only be accurately diagnosed through close examination of the brain after death. While researchers are working toward the development of a 100% accurate means of diagnosing the disorder, they can currently diagnose probable Alzheimer’s disease with a high accuracy rate through a series of evaluations and tests. Early detection of Alzheimer’s disease is important to help a patient’s family plan for future care and to give the patient the opportunity to begin medications that are only effective in the early stages of the disease. Suffering from dementia does not necessarily mean that a person has Alzheimer’s disease, making it imperative for doctors to first rule out another possibly curable cause for the dementia. Below are some of the evaluations doctors may use to rule out other disorders and to diagnose probable Alzheimer’s disease:

▪Analysis of Patient’s Medical History and Physical Exam: Doctors typically begin their analyses with an evaluation of factors such as a patient’s medical past, including illnesses, previous and current symptoms, medications and family history. A thorough physical exam typically accompanies a patient’s medical history analysis, which gives the doctor an overall impression of the patient’s physical health.

▪Laboratory Tests: Blood tests and urinalyses may be conducted to help narrow down the cause of a patient’s symptoms. Blood tests allow doctors to identify characteristics or specific genes that are commonly associated with Alzheimer’s disease. A urinalysis provides information about characteristics such as sugar and protein levels that may allow doctors to rule out certain other disorders.

▪X-rays: Primarily conducted to help rule out other causes of symptoms similar to those exhibited by Alzheimer’s patients, a chest X-ray may also be conducted to allow doctors to examine a patient’s lungs, heart, and bones.

▪Examining interior brain structure: A computed tomography (CT) scan, commonly known as a CAT scan, can show doctors changes in the brain over time by compiling a series of x-rays from various angles, which doctors evaluate for key changes such as a reduction in brain size. Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or MRI, is a test that provides doctors with clear images of the body without radiation, helping doctors identify other potential causes of a patient’s symptoms such as a stroke or tumor. An Electroencephalography, or EEG, is a test during which electrodes are applied to a patient’s scalp to measure electrical activity within the brain, which can help doctors rule out seizures as a cause for a patient’s symptoms. Similarly, an Electrocardiogram, also known as an ECG or EKG, measures electrical activity of the heart and can help narrow down other reasons for a patient’s behavioral changes.

▪Neuropsychological Tests: Analyzing the relationship between brain function and behavior, neuropsychological tests offer doctors important insight into a patient’s cognitive, behavioral, and emotional symptoms. This type of in depth analysis involves extensive patient interviews and testing for memory, logic, language, as well as an evaluation of personality and emotion among other factors.

▪3-D Imaging: A Positron Emission Tomography, or PET Scan gives doctors the ability to examine internal organs and their functions in three dimensional form. A PET scan is helpful in identifying cancer and heart diseases, as well as showing the areas of the brain causing seizures and differentiating Alzheimer’s disease from other causes of dementia. A Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography, or SPECT Scan, also produces 3-D images through pictures taken after the injection of radioactive fluid, and can show irregularities commonly associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

The aftermath of a Traumatic Frontal Lobe Brain Injury.
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