Alzheimer's Disease

It is important to note that Alzheimer's disease is not a normal part of the aging process—it is a disease. Moreover, many illnesses that cause symptoms similar to Alzheimer's are treatable. Clinical depression, for example, will cause dementia-like symptoms, but is an illness that can be treated effectively with medication and other types of therapy. Consequently, it is vitally important to receive a complete neurological examination as soon as symptoms arise.

No one test serves as a definitive indicator for Alzheimer's disease. However, when administered together, a full medical history, a mental status examination, physical and neurological examinations, neuropsychology tests, and laboratory tests help physicians determine a diagnosis with a high rate of accuracy. The only way to be one hundred percent certain that a person has Alzheimer's disease is to examine brain tissue at autopsy.

When receiving a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, individuals are usually placed in one of two categories: probable AD and possible AD. Probable AD is an indication that the physician has eliminated other possible causes of dementia and that the symptoms are most likely caused by Alzheimer's disease. Possible AD implies that although Alzheimer's is most likely the primary reason for the dementia, other disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, may be affecting the disease's progression.