Afraid You May Have Early Stage Alzheimer’s? Why It Makes Sense to be Tested

A specialist may give you one or more tests for starters. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) is the most often used. The test is a research-based set of questions that scores a person's general level of impairment, if there is impairment.

It assesses memory, concentration and other cognitive skills. While the MMSE seems simple on the surface, but should be scored by a trained clinician.

You should also be interviewed about your life in general. Your level of education and what you did for a living will make a difference in test scores, but it also will give the doctor clues as to how far away from what would be expected to be your own normal mental ability you are. Your family will also be interviewed. What changes have they seen? What were you like before the changes? Everything from work to family life to hobbies should be talked about.

You may be given a brain scan, likely a PET scan, which will show lit up areas of your brain so doctors can determine if some areas are damaged, and if so, what areas they are, and how widespread the damage is.

It's not really known when Alzheimer's actually begins, but if you are showing some troubling symptoms, you are likely in an early stage and Alzheimer's is still hard to pin down early. That's why cumulative information your doctor collects is so important. It's the fully picture that is likely to determine the final diagnosis.

An extremely helpful article from the Medical College of Wisconsin titled, "Best Practices Identified for Early Alzheimer's Detection," would make good reading for anyone wanting a doctor's opinion about their memory problems, or that of a family member. The article lists different tests used for screening and why different ones may be chosen. It also stresses that the opinion of family and long-time friends is key to helping the physician decide is there is, indeed, impairment, and if there is impairment, if it isAlzheimer's or something else. 

The bottom line is that when family or friends are concerned about you, or you are concerned about yourself, it's time to get a checkup. First get a complete physical, including a review of all of your medications and their possible side effects and interactions. Then, see if a psychological checkup is in order. Is depression something that runs in your family? Have you been under unusual stress for a prolonged period? These are things that could mimic dementia, but in reality need different treatment. After other reasons for your concern have been ruled out, and your psychiatrist or other specialist determines a need, then you would start the Alzheimer's testing phase.

In the past, people were afraid to be tested for Alzheimer's since nothing could be done. Now, it's still scary. It's easy to avoid testing because you don't want the "bad news." However, now that we know that there is a positive side to early diagnosis, hopefully people will get in and get tested. The time gained, through early intervention, will give families precious time that that denial would have stolen from them.