Diagnosis
A reasonably accurate diagnosis of dementia can be made by taking a careful history of the person's problem from a close relative or friend, together with an examination of the person's physical and mental status. There is, however, no simple test to make a diagnosis and dementia can only be confirmed with certainty by examining the brain at post mortem. When making a diagnosis, it is important to exclude other treatable conditions that cause memory loss such as depression, urinary infection, vitamin deficiency and brain tumour. An early diagnosis is helpful, because it:
- enables caregivers to be better equipped to cope with the disease progression
- provides people with dementia with an opportunity to make decisions about their financial and legal affairs before they lose the ability to do so
- gives people with dementia a better chance to benefit from existing treatments.
'Diagnosing dementia' was the theme for World Alzheimer's Day and the World Alzheimer's Day bulletin in 2001.
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