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Alzheimers Testing
To make a reliable analysis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), physicians use lots of diagnostic tests. AD is a serious brain disorder in which neurons degenerate, resulting in the loss of cognitive functions - mostly memory, movement coordination, reasoning and pattern recognition. In the last stage of AD, all memory and mental functioning is lost.
The major reason for a number of tests is to recognize the cause of symptoms and any treatable medical illness that may or may not be AD, as well as to provide a full diagnosis and a treatment plan. Alzheimer's testing covers neurological, physical and psychological tests. Clinical interviews are made with the patient and family to get a complete picture of the person suspected of suffering from AD.
The patients undergo tests of memory and intellectual functioning over a series of weeks or months, along with physical tests. Physicians usually begin with MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination), a memory and performance test. MMSE checks the patient's capability to remember, identify, communicate and think using many questions, such as "what is today's date, what day of the week is it, what is the season and what state are we in"?
Other popular psychological and neurological tests are the clock drawing test (CDT), mini-cog, and a mental status examination. The patient's medical and life history is also critical to the diagnostic process. So it is wise that someone familiar with recent events accompany the patient to the hospital. Providing the history of patient?s memory loss progression is also helpful.
Other important AD testing tools are brain imaging tests like CAT (computed tomography) scans or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans. They are used to identify the presence of tumor, head trauma, and neurological conditions. PET (positron emission tomography) scans recognize activity decreases in hippocampus, the brain's first part attacked by Alzheimer's. Neuroimaging tests are used in the early stages of the diseases.
Sometimes Alzheimer's testing includes a lumbar puncture test. This test involves putting a needle into the lumbar canal to take a sample of the cerebrospinal fluid - the liquid circulating in and around the brain and spine. This test is expensive as well as painful and frightening. The side effects associated with the test are headache and inflammation.
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Source: www.articlecity.com