You or someone you love may have noticed some symptoms or signs that may be Alzheimer’s disease and you are anxious to find out if it is Alzheimer’s for sure or not. How will the doctor make the diagnosis? What tools or tests will be used when making the diagnosis?

The symptoms or signs experienced can be similar to other conditions including depression, heart disease or thyroid disease, infections, even drug interactions or alcohol abuse.

It is important to obtain a diagnosis because when you have a diagnosis you can understand better why the individual is acting the way they are. It is also important to have a diagnosis so the proper treatment can be started as early as possible. Early treatment of Alzheimer’s can slow the progress of the disease giving precious time for loved ones to spend with the one with Alzheimer’s. It is also easier to plan for the future when you have a diagnosis.

The doctor will make the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease by eliminating other possible conditions that may share similar symptoms or signs. It may take some time to make an accurate diagnosis so patience may be in order. The doctor may even refer the patient to other specialists in order to make the diagnosis. Other health professions that may be called upon to assist with the diagnosis may include a psychologist, a psychiatrist, social worker, occupational therapist, neurologist and a geriatrician.

The process of making a diagnosis may involve taking a complete personal and family medical history, which will include past illnesses, brain injuries, family history and your own psychiatric history. The patient will have a physical examination, and a psychological evaluation to access how well the individual can recall words, objects, spell, and answer questions correctly about time and place.

During the physical examination the doctor will be looking for abnormalities involving the heart, lungs, liver, kidney, thyroid and muscle strength and tone, speech and coordination.

The doctor may also send you to a laboratory for tests that may include blood or urine tests and also thyroid testing. You may also have to have x-rays or EEG’s. Certain scans may also be requested by your doctor such as a computerized tomography (CT) scan or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Both of these scans take images of the brain.

Your doctor may decide to do a SPECT test which is a single proton emission computed tomo-graphy. This test shows how the blood circulates the brain.

A positive electron tomography can be done in order to show how the brain responds when the patient is doing certain activities such as talking or reading.

Neuro-psychological testing to evaluate memory, writing, or reasoning skills.

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