Alzheimer’s Disease Testing: The First Step

Alzheimer’s disease is very prevalent today, and most of us are aware of the devastating effects on its victims and their families. But if you begin to notice what you think might be possible symptoms of Alzheimer’s in yourself or one of your loved ones, what should you do first? How can you determine if what you’re observing is actually Alzheimer’s or just normal aging?

As scientists have learned more about this disease, they have developed specific Alzheimer’s disease testing diagnostics to identify the disease as early in the process as possible. These testing tools help doctors determine with a high degree of accuracy whether a person is developing Alzheimer’s.

You’ll want to find a doctor who you like and feel comfortable with, hopefully one who is familiar with Alzheimer’s and skilled in treating it. You might start with your regular doctor, who then may refer you to a specialist. He or she may refer you to a neurologist who’s specialty is diseases of the brain. Or you might see a psychologist with advanced training in memory and other mental functions, or a psychiatrist who specializes in mood disorders.

Kinds of Alzheimer’s disease testing

A doctor will most likely begin by getting a complete medical history, including family history. He will look at the person’s overall health, any current or past medical conditions; he will also assess the person’s ability to carry out their daily tasks.

Next he will perform tests to determine a person’s memory skill, ability to solve problems, and language skills. He may suggest a mental status evaluation to assess the patient’s sense of time and place; this will test their memory, their ability to communicate understand what’s being said. The test can also determine the ability to perform simple math problems.

There could be a series of tests to determine language skills, large motor coordination, and the ability to reason. Specific Alzheimer’s disease testing can also determine a person’s balance and detect any issues in their nervous system.

In addition to these types of Alzheimer’s disease testing, he will suggest medical tests: blood tests, urine analysis, spinal fluid measurement, and brain scans (either a CT scan or an MRI). The test results will hopefully show if the symptoms are related to Alzheimer’s or not.

Early Diagnosis Is Key

While it might sound like an awful lot of testing, it’s important to get a range of tests to accurately diagnose Alzheimer’s. With the use of the whole range of Alzheimer’s disease testing, doctors are usually 90% accurate in their diagnosis of the disease. An early diagnosis is key in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. The more a person knows up front, the better their chances of finding the right treatment and staying independent and functional as long as possible.