Alzheimer's Disease
Alternate Names : Organic Brain Syndrome
How is the disease diagnosed?
The diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is based on a history of increasing memory loss and other cognitive impairments. Changes in behavior, personality,
and judgment may also be clues to the disease.
Since there is no definitive test for Alzheimer's disease, it is important to
rule out other conditions or diseases that may cause the symptoms. These
include the following:
multiple strokes
Parkinson's disease, a degenerative nerve disorder that causes
tremors and mental decline
normal pressure hydrocephalus,
which is excessive fluid around the brain
a deficiency of vitamin B12
hypothyroidism, or low levels of
thyroid hormone
alcoholism and drug abuse
infectious diseases that cause brain degeneration, such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, viral infections,
or fungal infections
poisoning with carbon monoxide or
methyl alcohol
depression
medication side effects or drug
interactions
brain tumors
The clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's can be made with an accuracy up to 90%
based on these symptoms and the results of a collection of tests.
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