| Dementia is common among the elderly and affects | | | | identify the root cause of the disease. Screening |
| the normal functioning of the brain and the | | | | tools include laboratory tests that are used for |
| symptoms of dementia are similar to other | | | | assessing problems faced by the patient. |
| neurological disorders. | | | | These may include attentiveness, perceptiveness, |
| The screening tools for dementia patients include | | | | memory and social and language skills. This will help in |
| physical and neurological examination and the | | | | determining whether the patient is suffering from |
| specified laboratory tests. | | | | dementia or from some other neurological disease, |
| Proper diagnosis requires a physician to go through | | | | such as Alzheimer's or Hydrocephalus. |
| his or her patient's medical history, to gather | | | | A patient suffering from Alzheimer's is more |
| information about the factors that could have | | | | attentive, co-operative and gives appropriate |
| resulted in the disease. | | | | responses whereas a Hydrocephalus patient is |
| These factors may include a family history of | | | | relatively more distracted and less co-operative. |
| neurological diseases, stroke and alcohol or drug | | | | Blood tests |
| abuse. | | | | Screening tools for patients may include blood tests, |
| As per the American Psychiatric Association, a | | | | if the medical history of the patient indicates |
| patient is diagnosed with dementia when he | | | | infectious, metabolic or toxic conditions. |
| experiences memory loss, is unable to co-ordinate | | | | Blood test results will help the physician in ruling out |
| speech, is unable to perform motor activities or | | | | other neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's. |
| relate to objects and is unable to think rationally. | | | | Blood tests may indicate B12 vitamin deficiency, blood |
| The screening tools for dementia patients must be | | | | glucose or hypoglycemia, anemia, drug toxicity, |
| able to differentiate between delirium and dementia, | | | | hypercalcemia, hypermagnamesia, hypernatremia, liver |
| since both have similar symptoms. Delirium is | | | | disease, lumbar puncture, hypothyroidism, syphilis and |
| characterized by mental disturbances, disorganized | | | | even HIV infection. |
| thinking and the reduced ability to remain attentive to | | | | DNA samples taken from the blood are utilized for |
| the external environment. | | | | diagnosing Huntington's disease. It is also used for |
| Differentiating between delirium and dementia is | | | | revealing the ApoE4 gene that is found in the case |
| necessary because the treatment is different for | | | | of Alzheimer's. |
| both the diseases. The screening tools for dementia | | | | EEG, MRI scan and CT scan |
| patients should also be able to differentiate between | | | | The EEG or Electroencephalography measures brain |
| actual dementia and Pseudo dementia. | | | | activity and helps in diagnosing dementia. |
| In pseudo dementia, the patients start believing that | | | | Dementia patients normally have lower brain wave |
| they are losing their memory, even though they are | | | | activity as compared to normal human beings. |
| perfectly normal. | | | | CT scan and MRI scan are used for detecting |
| The differentiation is necessary because the | | | | structural or physical changes in the brain that might |
| treatment advised for dementia patients is specific. | | | | be caused due to stroke, blood clots, tumors or head |
| The latter is more of a psychological problem. | | | | injury. |
| Laboratory Tests | | | | All these factors can produce dementia like |
| Screening tools for dementia are selected as per the | | | | symptoms even if the patient is perfectly normal. |
| medical history of the patient and are used to | | | | |