facts for health--alzheimer's--how is alzheimer's disease diagnosed?

Accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) can only be made by a skilled clinician within the context of a person's past and present life.

An experienced clinician can identify and interpret the symptoms and signs of Alzheimer's disease, but the most accurate and helpful diagnosis requires knowledge about the individual's present life and past experiences. Clear-cut cases are easy to recognize. However, the boundary between Alzheimer's disease, other dementias, other psychiatric disorders and normal aging, may be blurred and difficult to define. Some people may seek treatment for relatively minor symptoms while others may avoid treatment despite severe symptoms..

Commonly used criteria for diagnosing AD are defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). These criteria are widely accepted by physicians, but are complicated reading for most of us. These criteria are reproduced with permission in the following PDF file, DSM-IV: Diagnostic Criteria for Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type.

How can you tell if you need help? One approach is to have a family member or close friend who knows you well take our computerized quiz. You may wonder why someone else is taking the quiz for you. Alzheimer's disease can interfere with one's ability to accurately observe one's functioning. The Symptoms of Dementia Screener (SDS) has been shown to be a helpful method for identifying dementia when completed by someone close to the person who may be developing dementia.