How Dementia is Diagnosed

A diagnosis of dementia requires a physician to conduct several tests.  The physician first performs a physical exam of the patient.  During the exam, the physician may perform some memory tests on the patient and will want to discuss the patient's medical history and recent changes with both the patient and a friend or family member who is aware of any changes.  Having another person present for the physical exam can give the physician critical insight into what's happening that the patient may not think to share or may forget to state.

Next, a round of blood work may be requested to determine if the patient's thyroid is not functioning properly.  One of the primary symptoms of dementia, especially in the early stages is difficulty with short term memory.  One of the many things that your thyroid impacts is your memory.  If your thyroid is not functioning properly, it can cause you to have difficulty with short term memory.  So, the physician needs to rule out any other causes which would be evident in your blood work.

After that, An MRI, a CT scan, and/or an EEG may be ordered by the physician.  With the MRI and the CT scan, the doctor is going to be looking for any abnormal structures in the brain which could cause the dementia symptoms.  For example, a brain tumor needs to be ruled out.  The EEG will let them see if there is abnormal brain activity.

All of these tests are done to look for any cause for the patient's symptoms which are not dementia but may appear to be dementia.  If there is nothing else present which can cause the symptoms, the physician now focuses on the various conditions which cause dementia.  Remember that the word dementia describes a group of symptoms and that the doctor is trying to figure out the cause of those symptoms.

Additional Information Sources:
Webmd - Dementia Overview
Mayo Clinic - Dementia Tests and Diagnosis


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