{"id":243641,"date":"2023-07-18T19:28:29","date_gmt":"2023-07-18T23:28:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.asccare.com\/how-is-alzheimers-disease-diagnosed\/"},"modified":"2026-06-17T11:27:17","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T15:27:17","slug":"how-is-alzheimers-disease-diagnosed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.asccare.com\/how-is-alzheimers-disease-diagnosed\/","title":{"rendered":"How Is Alzheimer\u2019s Disease Diagnosed?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>If it seems to you like the number of people who are being diagnosed with Alzheimer\u2019s disease is increasing, you might be right. But that\u2019s partly because the U.S. population is aging. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.census.gov\/newsroom\/press-releases\/2022\/population-estimates-characteristics.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">average age in this country<\/a> has climbed by 3.4 years since 2000. As the population grows older, the number of age-related medical issues rises, too. One of these is Alzheimer\u2019s.<\/p>\n<p>Alzheimer\u2019s is the most common form of dementia. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alz.org\/alzheimers-dementia\/facts-figures\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">According to the Alzheimer\u2019s Association<\/a>, 6 million people have the disease. That number is projected to soar to 13 million by 2050. While there is currently no cure for Alzheimer\u2019s, early interventions may help slow the progression.<\/p>\n<p>For these interventions to make a difference, an older adult should be evaluated early if Alzheimer\u2019s or another form of dementia is suspected. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important for people to learn the symptoms of this form of dementia and how it is diagnosed.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Red Flags of Alzheimer\u2019s Disease<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>While many people are aware that forgetfulness and memory loss are signs of Alzheimer\u2019s, there are others that aren\u2019t as well-known. Other symptoms that might indicate a problem include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Change in personality or disposition<\/li>\n<li>Forgetting appointments or important dates<\/li>\n<li>Insomnia or another sleep disorder<\/li>\n<li>Becoming lost, even coming and going from familiar places<\/li>\n<li>Difficulty performing tasks that require abstract thought<\/li>\n<li>Struggling with written or verbal communication skills<\/li>\n<li>Misplacing commonly used items, such as car keys and glasses<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These symptoms might not be caused by Alzheimer\u2019s disease at all. They could be the result of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/info-2022\/medical-problems-mimic-dementia.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">condition that mimics dementia<\/a>, such as dehydration or an undiagnosed infection. But if an older adult has experienced more than one of these changes, it\u2019s likely a good idea to schedule a physical with a primary care physician.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>How Physicians Diagnose Alzheimer\u2019s<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>After a patient\u2019s doctor has eliminated other potential causes, they might explore whether Alzheimer\u2019s disease or another type of dementia is the underlying condition. People are frequently surprised to learn there isn\u2019t a single test available that diagnoses this disease. Instead, it is a process of identifying symptoms and eliminating other potential causes.<\/p>\n<p>Testing for Alzheimer\u2019s often includes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Complete medical history:<\/strong> If they haven\u2019t already done so, the physician will likely begin by asking questions about medical conditions that run in the family, as well as lifestyle. Diet, alcohol consumption, smoking and exercise are a few factors they\u2019ll want to learn more about. It also helps if family members write down changes they\u2019ve noticed in the senior, along with how long it\u2019s been going on.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Physical exam:<\/strong> A physical will also be on the list. It typically includes blood pressure, temperature, pulse and reflexes. The doctor will also administer a series of questions or problems to solve. These assess the older adult\u2019s memory, reasoning, judgment, attention span and language skills.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Blood tests:<\/strong> To rule out a thyroid disorder, an infection or vitamin deficiencies requires blood work. The physician might also order a urine test. Because the symptoms of these health issues are similar to those of dementia, it\u2019s important to eliminate them before moving on with other testing.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Depression screening:<\/strong> Another illness that can present like Alzheimer\u2019s, especially among older people, is depression. It is sometimes referred to as pseudodementia. A senior\u2019s doctor might conduct a depression screening or refer the older adult to a mental health expert.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Brain imaging:<\/strong> Brain scans are typically ordered, too. These can show if the brain is shrinking, while also looking for other potential causes. A brain aneurysm, tumor, fluid or stroke are a few medical issues that can be detected with imaging.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Spinal tap:<\/strong> A newer method of diagnosing Alzheimer\u2019s, which has been successful in Europe, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2018. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is collected through a spinal tap and sent to the lab to be evaluated for biomarkers associated with Alzheimer\u2019s.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Based on their findings, the primary care doctor will determine if the reported symptoms are linked to some form of dementia or if there is another underlying medical issue. They may also refer the patient to a neurologist for additional testing.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Experts in Dementia Care<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>American Senior Communities offers different types of care for adults living with Alzheimer\u2019s and other forms of dementia. They include memory care apartments, advanced memory care and short-term respite. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asccare.com\/service_categories\/memory-care\/\">Contact the community nearest you<\/a> with questions or to schedule a private tour today!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Facing Alzheimer&#8217;s disease or another form of dementia can feel overwhelming, which is why we are committed to evidence-based care and ongoing education and rely on these trusted organizations that provide families and caregivers with accurate information, research, educational resources, and support throughout the dementia journey.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #3366ff\"><a style=\"color: #3366ff\" href=\"https:\/\/www.alz.org\/indiana\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alzheimer\u2019s Association of Indiana<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #3366ff\"><a style=\"color: #3366ff\" href=\"https:\/\/www.alzheimers.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alzheimer\u2019s.gov<\/a> (reports\/research)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #3366ff\"><a style=\"color: #3366ff\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/brain-health\/dementia-resource-guide-digital-edition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AARP Dementia Resource Guide<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #3366ff\"><a style=\"color: #3366ff\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dementiafriendsindiana.org\/resources\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dementia Friends Indiana<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #3366ff\"><a style=\"color: #3366ff\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nia.nih.gov\/health\/alzheimers-and-relationships\/helping-family-and-friends-understand-alzheimers-disease\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Institute on Aging<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If it seems to you like the number of people who are being diagnosed with Alzheimer\u2019s disease is increasing, you might be right. But that\u2019s partly because the U.S. population is aging. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average age in this country has climbed by 3.4 years since 2000. As the population grows [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":239302,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[539],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-243641","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-memory-care-alzheimers"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asccare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243641","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asccare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asccare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asccare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asccare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=243641"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.asccare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243641\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":250194,"href":"https:\/\/www.asccare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243641\/revisions\/250194"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asccare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/239302"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asccare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=243641"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asccare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=243641"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asccare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=243641"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}