There is no single test to show whether a person is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
- My husband was given a thorough medical examination.
- A mental status test.
- A neurological examination.
- Blood tests.
- A brain imaging scan.
I was told that he was suffering from some kind of dementia, probably Alzheimer’s. The scan showed that he had suffered one or more small strokes. (What went through my mind was; small strokes? Would the doctor describe them as small strokes if he were talking about something that happened to his wife?) Much later on I learned that even a small stroke leaves some damage in its wake.
The doctor continued: If the memory loss disrupts daily life, if there is confusion with time and place, trouble understanding visual images and gauging spatial relationships, problems with words in speaking or writing, misplacing things, showing poor judgment, becoming less social and undergoing mood changes, chances are that the patient is suffering from dementia, probably Alzheimer’s disease.
Having a memory problem does not necessarily mean that the person is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease as there are so many different kinds of memory problems.
