Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSelf-ChecksClinical EvaluationLabs and TestsImaging StudiesDifferential DiagnosesFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Self-Checks
Clinical Evaluation
Labs and Tests
Imaging Studies
Differential Diagnoses
Frequently Asked Questions
An accurate, early diagnosis ofAlzheimer’s diseaseallows appropriate treatment to begin sooner, which is why it’s important to schedule an evaluation if you or someone you know is showing some of the signs and symptoms. The healthcare provider will do screening assessments as well as review symptoms and medical history, but may also consider imaging to rule out other possible explanations for what one is experiencing.
While you can’t diagnose yourself or someone else with Alzheimer’s disease, you can perform a clinically supported at-home check that may point to the possibility and give the practitioner useful information to use in their assessment.
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Self-Checks/At-Home Testing
Keep track of symptomsover the course of a few months. Consider asking a trusted family member or friend for input as well. When calling to make an appointment with your healthcare provider, briefly share your observations and ask for an evaluation for Alzheimer’s andother kinds of dementia. Bring the list of symptoms andany questionsyou can think of to your practitioner.
The onlineSelf-Administered Gerocognitive Exam (SAGE)can be downloaded and taken at home. This self-screening dementia tool has beenscientifically evaluatedand has demonstrated good results in accurately identifying cognitive deficits.A key part of ensuring its accuracy is bringing it to your healthcare provider for scoring and interpretation rather than doing so yourself.
Different kinds of healthcare providers can diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. You can make an appointment with your primary care doctor or seek out a specialist such as a psychologist, geriatric psychiatrist, neurologist, neuropsychiatrist, or geropsychiatrist.
Some communities have specific programs that specialize in Alzheimer’s testing and diagnosing, so check with your localAlzheimer’s Associationchapter for recommendations.
The healthcare provider will ask you to tell them about the symptoms you’ve experienced to determine if they are consistent with thesymptomsof Alzheimer’s disease. If you are attending the appointment along with and out of concern for a loved one, you may be asked about what you’ve witnessed as well.
The practitioner will also likely ask if there are other diagnosed health conditions or any additional symptoms. If you’re at a new healthcare provider’s office, they may request that medical records be sent from your/your loved one’s primary care physician ahead of time so that they have a full account of this information.
Additionally, family history for different kinds of dementia and health conditions will likely be reviewed, as well as any current medications (prescription or over-the-counter), vitamins, and supplements being taken.
The following are often considered when diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease.
Mental Status Exams
Amental status examis often used to objectively evaluate cognitive functioning.
There are several screening tests to evaluate cognition, but one of the more common exams is theMini Mental State Exam(MMSE). This exam tests different aspects of the ability of the brain, such as memory, calculation,orientation, and communication.
Theclock-drawing testis often a part of other screening tests, such as some of the below. Simply drawing a clock with the numbers and hands set at a specific time can reveal problems with cognition.
Other tests done on those being evaluated include:
TheAlzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale test (ADAS-Cog)is an 11-part test often usedafterdiagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease to assess the level of impairment. It focuses on attention, language, orientation, executive functioning, and memory skills.
Tests may also be given to caregivers and families. They include:
Laboratory Tests
Some healthcare providers will order tests such as blood work or a urinalysis. These tests can screen for infections or other medical conditions that could hinder one’s ability to think clearly.Infections can often cause increased confusion, especially in older adults, so it’s important to eliminate these and other reversible conditions as a cause.
In the rare case that autosomal-dominant Alzheimer’s disease is suspected of being present in the family, a genetic test is available.
Imaging
Brain changes can also be observed through various imaging techniques, such as:
The diagnostic process should include an evaluation forreversible conditionsthat can mimic Alzheimer’s disease. You or your loved one may fear that the symptoms are due to Alzheimer’s when they could be the result of many other conditions, such asdepressionor delirium due to an infection that will improve with the right treatment.
Problems with memory may be diagnosed asmild cognitive impairment, in which the person has normal overall cognition and can still do their daily activities. There is a greater risk of dementia, but it is not inevitable.
Tests will also differentiate between Alzheimer’s and other kinds of dementia such as:
Any significant, sudden change in someone’s ability to think merits a call to a healthcare provider immediately, as this may be a sign of a treatable condition.
What Is Alzheimer’s Disease?
Alzheimer’s is usually diagnosed based on a person’s behavior along with a review of their medical history and family history. The NINCDX-ADRDA Alzheimer’s Criteria specifies eight domains that must be impaired for a person to have Alzheimer’s: memory, language, perceptual skills, attention, constructive abilities, orientation, problem-solving, and functional abilities. Cognitive tests are commonly used to measure the degree of cognitive impairment.
Yes, although other tests may help support the diagnosis. PET scans may show brain abnormalities consistent with Alzheimer’s, although they have a low level of accuracy in people with mild cognitive impairment.There are also blood tests that can detectgenes and proteinsconsistent with Alzheimer’s, although you can have these genes and proteins without having Alzheimer’s.
A diagnosis based solely on clinical features has an overall accuracy of around 74%.When diagnostic blood tests are added, including tests foramyloidand tau proteins, the accuracy is increased to 89%.The same applies when a PET scan is used with a clinical diagnosis, increasing the overall accuracy to around 89%.
Some people have been known to live for 20 years or more after their diagnosis. But, on average, the course of the disease will run from four to eight years from the time of the diagnosis.A great many people with Alzheimer’s die due toaspiration pneumoniacaused when theswallowing reflex is affected, allowing food and water to enter the lungs.
How Alzheimer’s Is Treated
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Scharre DW, Chang SI, Nagaraja HN, Vrettos NE, Bornstein RA.Digitally translated Self-Administered Gerocognitive Examination (eSAGE): relationship with its validated paper version, neuropsychological evaluations, and clinical assessments.Alzheimers Res Ther. 2017;9(1):44. doi:10.1186/s13195-017-0269-3Weller J, Budson A.Current understanding of Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis and treatment.F1000Res.2018;7:F1000 Faculty Rev-1161. doi:10.12688/f1000research.14506.1Neugroschl J, Wang S.Alzheimer’s disease: diagnosis and treatment across the spectrum of disease severity.Mt Sinai J Med. 2011;78(4):596-612. doi:10.1002/msj.20279Garn H, Coronel C, Waser M, Caravias G, Ransmayr G.Differential diagnosis between patients with probable Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease dementia, or dementia with Lewy bodies and frontotemporal dementia, behavioral variant, using quantitative electroencephalographic features.J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2017;124(5):569-581. doi:10.1007/s00702-017-1699-6Jack CR, Albert MS, Knopman DS, et al.Introduction to the recommendations from the National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer’s Association workgroups on diagnostic guidelines for Alzheimer’s disease.Alzheimer Dementia. 2011;7(3):257-62. doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2011.03.004Zhang S, Smailagic N, Hyde C, et al.(11)C-PIB-PET for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease dementia and other dementias in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).Cochrane Database Syst Rev.2014 Jul;(7):CD010386. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD010386.pub2Thalhauser CJ, Komarova NL.Alzheimer’s disease: rapid and slow progression.J R Soc Interface. 2012;9(66):119-26. doi:10.1098/rsif.2011.0134Sabbagh MN, Lue L-F, Fayard D, Shi J.Increasing precision of clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease using a combined algorithm incorporating clinical and novel biomarker data.Neurol Ther. 2017;6(S1):83-95. doi:10.1007/s40120-017-0069-5Kim K, Kim M-J, Kim DW, Kim SY, Park S, Park CB.Clinically accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease via multiplexed sensing of core biomarkers in human plasma.Nat Commun. 2020;11(1):119. doi:10.1038/s41467-019-13901-zStaffaroni A, Elahi F, McDermott D, et al.Neuroimaging in dementia.Semin Neurol. 2017;37(05):510-37. doi:10.1055/s-0037-1608808Alzheimer’s Association.Stages of Alzheimer’s.Manabe T, Fujikura Y, Mizukami K, Akatsu H, Kudo K.Pneumonia-associated death in patients with dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.PLoS ONE. 2019;14(3):e0213825. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0213825Additional ReadingMedical Tests. Alzheimer’s Association.Biomarkers for Dementia Detection and Research. National Institutes on Aging.How Is Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosed?National Institute on Aging.Scharre DW, Chang SI, Nagaraja HN, Vrettos NE, Bornstein RA.Digitally Translated Self-Administered Gerocognitive Examination (eSAGE): Relationship With Its Validated Paper Version, Neuropsychological Evaluations, and Clinical Assessments.Alzheimers Res Ther. 2017;9(1):44. Published 2017 Jun 27. doi:10.1186/s13195-017-0269-3
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Scharre DW, Chang SI, Nagaraja HN, Vrettos NE, Bornstein RA.Digitally translated Self-Administered Gerocognitive Examination (eSAGE): relationship with its validated paper version, neuropsychological evaluations, and clinical assessments.Alzheimers Res Ther. 2017;9(1):44. doi:10.1186/s13195-017-0269-3Weller J, Budson A.Current understanding of Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis and treatment.F1000Res.2018;7:F1000 Faculty Rev-1161. doi:10.12688/f1000research.14506.1Neugroschl J, Wang S.Alzheimer’s disease: diagnosis and treatment across the spectrum of disease severity.Mt Sinai J Med. 2011;78(4):596-612. doi:10.1002/msj.20279Garn H, Coronel C, Waser M, Caravias G, Ransmayr G.Differential diagnosis between patients with probable Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease dementia, or dementia with Lewy bodies and frontotemporal dementia, behavioral variant, using quantitative electroencephalographic features.J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2017;124(5):569-581. doi:10.1007/s00702-017-1699-6Jack CR, Albert MS, Knopman DS, et al.Introduction to the recommendations from the National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer’s Association workgroups on diagnostic guidelines for Alzheimer’s disease.Alzheimer Dementia. 2011;7(3):257-62. doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2011.03.004Zhang S, Smailagic N, Hyde C, et al.(11)C-PIB-PET for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease dementia and other dementias in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).Cochrane Database Syst Rev.2014 Jul;(7):CD010386. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD010386.pub2Thalhauser CJ, Komarova NL.Alzheimer’s disease: rapid and slow progression.J R Soc Interface. 2012;9(66):119-26. doi:10.1098/rsif.2011.0134Sabbagh MN, Lue L-F, Fayard D, Shi J.Increasing precision of clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease using a combined algorithm incorporating clinical and novel biomarker data.Neurol Ther. 2017;6(S1):83-95. doi:10.1007/s40120-017-0069-5Kim K, Kim M-J, Kim DW, Kim SY, Park S, Park CB.Clinically accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease via multiplexed sensing of core biomarkers in human plasma.Nat Commun. 2020;11(1):119. doi:10.1038/s41467-019-13901-zStaffaroni A, Elahi F, McDermott D, et al.Neuroimaging in dementia.Semin Neurol. 2017;37(05):510-37. doi:10.1055/s-0037-1608808Alzheimer’s Association.Stages of Alzheimer’s.Manabe T, Fujikura Y, Mizukami K, Akatsu H, Kudo K.Pneumonia-associated death in patients with dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.PLoS ONE. 2019;14(3):e0213825. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0213825Additional ReadingMedical Tests. Alzheimer’s Association.Biomarkers for Dementia Detection and Research. National Institutes on Aging.How Is Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosed?National Institute on Aging.Scharre DW, Chang SI, Nagaraja HN, Vrettos NE, Bornstein RA.Digitally Translated Self-Administered Gerocognitive Examination (eSAGE): Relationship With Its Validated Paper Version, Neuropsychological Evaluations, and Clinical Assessments.Alzheimers Res Ther. 2017;9(1):44. Published 2017 Jun 27. doi:10.1186/s13195-017-0269-3
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Scharre DW, Chang SI, Nagaraja HN, Vrettos NE, Bornstein RA.Digitally translated Self-Administered Gerocognitive Examination (eSAGE): relationship with its validated paper version, neuropsychological evaluations, and clinical assessments.Alzheimers Res Ther. 2017;9(1):44. doi:10.1186/s13195-017-0269-3Weller J, Budson A.Current understanding of Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis and treatment.F1000Res.2018;7:F1000 Faculty Rev-1161. doi:10.12688/f1000research.14506.1Neugroschl J, Wang S.Alzheimer’s disease: diagnosis and treatment across the spectrum of disease severity.Mt Sinai J Med. 2011;78(4):596-612. doi:10.1002/msj.20279Garn H, Coronel C, Waser M, Caravias G, Ransmayr G.Differential diagnosis between patients with probable Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease dementia, or dementia with Lewy bodies and frontotemporal dementia, behavioral variant, using quantitative electroencephalographic features.J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2017;124(5):569-581. doi:10.1007/s00702-017-1699-6Jack CR, Albert MS, Knopman DS, et al.Introduction to the recommendations from the National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer’s Association workgroups on diagnostic guidelines for Alzheimer’s disease.Alzheimer Dementia. 2011;7(3):257-62. doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2011.03.004Zhang S, Smailagic N, Hyde C, et al.(11)C-PIB-PET for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease dementia and other dementias in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).Cochrane Database Syst Rev.2014 Jul;(7):CD010386. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD010386.pub2Thalhauser CJ, Komarova NL.Alzheimer’s disease: rapid and slow progression.J R Soc Interface. 2012;9(66):119-26. doi:10.1098/rsif.2011.0134Sabbagh MN, Lue L-F, Fayard D, Shi J.Increasing precision of clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease using a combined algorithm incorporating clinical and novel biomarker data.Neurol Ther. 2017;6(S1):83-95. doi:10.1007/s40120-017-0069-5Kim K, Kim M-J, Kim DW, Kim SY, Park S, Park CB.Clinically accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease via multiplexed sensing of core biomarkers in human plasma.Nat Commun. 2020;11(1):119. doi:10.1038/s41467-019-13901-zStaffaroni A, Elahi F, McDermott D, et al.Neuroimaging in dementia.Semin Neurol. 2017;37(05):510-37. doi:10.1055/s-0037-1608808Alzheimer’s Association.Stages of Alzheimer’s.Manabe T, Fujikura Y, Mizukami K, Akatsu H, Kudo K.Pneumonia-associated death in patients with dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.PLoS ONE. 2019;14(3):e0213825. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0213825
Scharre DW, Chang SI, Nagaraja HN, Vrettos NE, Bornstein RA.Digitally translated Self-Administered Gerocognitive Examination (eSAGE): relationship with its validated paper version, neuropsychological evaluations, and clinical assessments.Alzheimers Res Ther. 2017;9(1):44. doi:10.1186/s13195-017-0269-3
Weller J, Budson A.Current understanding of Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis and treatment.F1000Res.2018;7:F1000 Faculty Rev-1161. doi:10.12688/f1000research.14506.1
Neugroschl J, Wang S.Alzheimer’s disease: diagnosis and treatment across the spectrum of disease severity.Mt Sinai J Med. 2011;78(4):596-612. doi:10.1002/msj.20279
Garn H, Coronel C, Waser M, Caravias G, Ransmayr G.Differential diagnosis between patients with probable Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease dementia, or dementia with Lewy bodies and frontotemporal dementia, behavioral variant, using quantitative electroencephalographic features.J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2017;124(5):569-581. doi:10.1007/s00702-017-1699-6
Jack CR, Albert MS, Knopman DS, et al.Introduction to the recommendations from the National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer’s Association workgroups on diagnostic guidelines for Alzheimer’s disease.Alzheimer Dementia. 2011;7(3):257-62. doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2011.03.004
Zhang S, Smailagic N, Hyde C, et al.(11)C-PIB-PET for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease dementia and other dementias in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).Cochrane Database Syst Rev.2014 Jul;(7):CD010386. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD010386.pub2
Thalhauser CJ, Komarova NL.Alzheimer’s disease: rapid and slow progression.J R Soc Interface. 2012;9(66):119-26. doi:10.1098/rsif.2011.0134
Sabbagh MN, Lue L-F, Fayard D, Shi J.Increasing precision of clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease using a combined algorithm incorporating clinical and novel biomarker data.Neurol Ther. 2017;6(S1):83-95. doi:10.1007/s40120-017-0069-5
Kim K, Kim M-J, Kim DW, Kim SY, Park S, Park CB.Clinically accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease via multiplexed sensing of core biomarkers in human plasma.Nat Commun. 2020;11(1):119. doi:10.1038/s41467-019-13901-z
Staffaroni A, Elahi F, McDermott D, et al.Neuroimaging in dementia.Semin Neurol. 2017;37(05):510-37. doi:10.1055/s-0037-1608808
Alzheimer’s Association.Stages of Alzheimer’s.
Manabe T, Fujikura Y, Mizukami K, Akatsu H, Kudo K.Pneumonia-associated death in patients with dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.PLoS ONE. 2019;14(3):e0213825. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0213825
Medical Tests. Alzheimer’s Association.Biomarkers for Dementia Detection and Research. National Institutes on Aging.How Is Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosed?National Institute on Aging.Scharre DW, Chang SI, Nagaraja HN, Vrettos NE, Bornstein RA.Digitally Translated Self-Administered Gerocognitive Examination (eSAGE): Relationship With Its Validated Paper Version, Neuropsychological Evaluations, and Clinical Assessments.Alzheimers Res Ther. 2017;9(1):44. Published 2017 Jun 27. doi:10.1186/s13195-017-0269-3
Medical Tests. Alzheimer’s Association.
Biomarkers for Dementia Detection and Research. National Institutes on Aging.
How Is Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosed?National Institute on Aging.
Scharre DW, Chang SI, Nagaraja HN, Vrettos NE, Bornstein RA.Digitally Translated Self-Administered Gerocognitive Examination (eSAGE): Relationship With Its Validated Paper Version, Neuropsychological Evaluations, and Clinical Assessments.Alzheimers Res Ther. 2017;9(1):44. Published 2017 Jun 27. doi:10.1186/s13195-017-0269-3
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