Types of Alzheimer’s Testing

Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease that starts out slowly but ends up robbing a person of their ability to think, remember, and function. In the beginning, certain symptoms might begin showing up in a family member, and you may find yourself wondering if it could be the start of Alzheimer’s. It’s better to get a professional evaluation rather than just wait and wonder. One thing that doctors know for sure, in the case of this disease, early Alzheimer’s testing and diagnosis can prevent it from progressing as fast.

There still is no way to be 100% sure that a person has Alzheimer’s until after they have died and an autopsy is performed. However, there are methods of Alzheimer’s testing that have been developed over the years, and taken together, doctors are now able to predict with 90% accuracy whether a person has Alzheimer’s or not.

Medical Tests

Medical tests are conducted to rule out whether a person’s dementia is caused by Alzheimer’s or some other health issue. Urine and blood tests can determine if the symptoms are caused by some kind of infection, or perhaps a liver or kidney disorder. If these are ruled out, other blood tests may be ordered, as well as a test of the person’s spinal fluid. A brain scan can rule out other possible causes, like stroke.

Neuropsychological Tests

One type of Alzheimer’s testing is neuropsychological testing, which evaluates a person’s cognitive functioning. This includes their general intelligence, their attention span, their judgment, their motor abilities, and also tests their speech. There are other tests that focus on a person’s emotional stability. The results of this type of testing will show whether there is specific neuropsychological damage. The California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) and the Sternberg Memory Scan are examples of this kind of test.

New Alzheimer’s Testing

Researchers at the Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute in West Virginia have developed a new skin test to measure changes in two proteins found in skin cells. Performed by a simple prick on the forearm, it is thought that this test could distinguish between Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia while a person is in the very early stages of the disease. Often this is when Alzheimer’s testing is the most difficult, so this could be a great help. The government has not given final approval to it, so it’s not widely available yet.

Genetic testing is another promising field in the area of Alzheimer’ testing. Some people have what is known as the Alzheimer’s gene. This gene produces a certain protein, and people with this gene have been found to be at higher risk for developing Alzheimer’s than those who don’t.

New research is being conducted all the time, and new forms of testing are being developed with the hope of catching Alzheimer’s earlier and earlier, and eventually preventing it altogether.