By Linda J Bruton
Alois Alzheimer, the doctor who first described Alzheimer's disease in 1906, would be appalled to learn that over 100 years later there is still no cure for this dreaded brain disease.
The brain destroying properties of Alzheimer's disease are still as much a mystery today as they were over 100 years ago.
There are several advanced tests that display a loss of mental agility. A trained doctor can determine with some accuracy whether a person has this dreaded affliction. The diagnosis of Alzheimer's today is still a death sentence. Those plaques and tangles in the brain are not discovered until an autopsy is performed.
The tests that are conducted on Alzheimer's patients can determine the severity of the disease but these test can not determine the cause for Alzheimer's nor can they offer any clues as to how to defeat this disease.
What the test will determine is the stage of brain deterioration. What will be evident is that Alzheimer's has destroyed a person's memory and will eventually rid them of their ability to function. The person with Alzheimer's is left without the ability to learn or reason. The Alzheimer patient loses the ability to make judgments or engage in any type communication.
The diagnostic tests and tools will determine whether a person has Alzheimer's disease. Specialist in neurology or a Geriatric Specialist do not use brain scans or invasive procedures to determine the validity of an Alzheimer's diagnosis.
The brain is the most critical organ of the body and also the most difficult to navigate for any type of testing or screening to determin a disease or disorder. In fact in the case of Alzheimer's the loss of memory or other behavioral symptoms are the major indicator that there may be something wrong.
When these symptoms appear, the patient is usually in the latter stages of the disease and at this stage there is little hope of recovery.
There is still some validity in early detection of the disease. Some of the diagnosis tests given to patients to cnfirm a diagnose of Alzheimer's Disease include:
1) A clock drawing test. - The patient is asked to draw a clock and to put the
numbers in their appropriate locations on the face of a clock.. The patient is then instructed to draw specific hours on the clock, i.e. 3:00 or 11:15.
numbers in their appropriate locations on the face of a clock.. The patient is then instructed to draw specific hours on the clock, i.e. 3:00 or 11:15.
2) Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) - The MMSE is a brief test that measures the cognitive status in adults.
3) Functional Assessment Staging (FAST) involves a checklist of functions required to evaluate the changes in functional performance and activities of daily living
The person providing the test will check "Yes" if a characteristic is present. If the problem is due to other causes apart from dementia (i.e., arthritis, paralysis, etc.), the test provider will check "No". The test provider is required to note the results of each activity.
4) CANTAB-PAL's The PAL test is the newest Alzheimer's mental agility test. This test is said to have a specific sensitivity to individuals with Alzheimer's disease. The test takes only 10 minutes and boasts a rate of 98 percent accuracy.
The information from these tests is important to the patient as well as the family. Early diagnosis is important for the effective treatment of Alzheimer's Disease. This information will be used by physicians to determine a course of action.
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For more information on alzheimers statistics, treatment, caregiving, and support resources, please visit http://www.alzheimersdiseasetips.com for helpful tips. Be sure to read the article on alzheimers disease early symptom detection.
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