Alzheimer's disease can be slowed if doctors are successful in pinpointing the disease early. Diagnosing Alzheimer's disease is a process of elimination. Within the spinal fluid, brain and genes are diagnostic markers that might help doctors, physicians and scientists pinpoint the cause of Alzheimer's. This research is helping doctors diagnose Alzheimer's disease.
The symptoms of Alzheimer's disease include increasingly bad memory without any other brain disorders such as brain damage, disease, or substance abuse; difficulty with speaking and understanding language; and poor sensory function. Before diagnosis begins, all other causes are ruled out.
Those with Alzheimer's disease experience a loss of new and distant memory, in addition to the loss of abstract thinking and critical thinking skills. Alzheimer's disease is not apparent immediately. Doctors must rule out other natural causes, such as malnutrition or clinical depression.
Blood tests check the blood count, chemistry, thyroid function and mineral levels. The electrocardiogram and X-rays are also sometimes used. Various other problems including stroke, tumors and brain fluid imbalances can be detected by magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, of the head. A unique blood test is sometimes performed in search of apolipoprotein E4, which might indicate a high risk of Alzheimer's disease.
New methods of diagnosing Alzheimer's disease are developed everyday. Specialized beta-amyloid testing kits check the cerebrospinal fluid. Doctors can also detect ADDL, small proteins that are just as common in the spine as in the brain. Tests exist that also check for free radical damage in the urine. Alzheimer's is also found by asking the patient simple questions like what the day is and what 2+3 is.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging, a type of MRI, may someday allow doctors to diagnose Alzheimer's when analyzing dysfunctional areas in certain parts of the brain such as the hippocampus. This fMRI can also check for a shrinking brain. The PET, or positron emission tomography, allows doctors to image the plaques that are found in Alzheimer's patients.
Genetic tests can determine if an individual has a high likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease. However, a patient might not get Alzheimer's despite being genetically predisposed to have the condition.
Certain medications and changes in diet and physical activity can slow or stop Alzheimer's. Patients will also benefit from making decisions about their future care and patients can receive psychiatric help early on, helping them cope with Alzheimer's. Psychologists can also rule out that the patient is not suffering from clinical depression, which can also cause many of the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.
Tags: Alzheimer disease, also check, clinical depression, diagnose Alzheimer, doctors diagnose Alzheimer, magnetic resonance