Some people think that getting a quality diagnosis of dementia is unnecessary. This attitude is based on the idea that there is nothing that can be done, so why bother. But knowing what type of dementia your loved one suffers from can be extremely important. Perhaps 10% or more of people who have a dementia have a Type of Dementia that is treatable and perhaps even reversible. And new drugs are coming along that help even those with dementias previously categorized as “untreatable” or “irreversible” slow down or even reverse some of the symptoms for some period of time. How terrible it would be for a person who could have been helped to not receive that help for lack of a good diagnosis! What constitutes a quality diagnostic procedure? Since there is no positive clinical test for Alzheimer’s disease (for example, we cannot simply take a blood sample and know for sure if it is Alzheimer’s like we can for many other diseases) the diagnosis is achieved by eliminating all of the other causes and Types of Dementia. This process is called a “Differential” diagnosis. Think of it as a process of elimination. The diagnostic process includes taking a complete medical history, a full physical examination, a battery of laboratory tests, neuropsychological tests and possibly a brain scan as well. These are tests that can be ordered or performed by any qualified physician, clinic or hospital, but it is best to seek out a clinic that specializes in the differential diagnosis of dementing illnesses. They will usually have a team (neurologist, social worker, etc.) that works together to perform and interpret the tests. Contact your local chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association for the specialized diagnostic centers near you. At ALZCARE® our goal is to get you all of the resources
and information you need.
|