title: Differential diagnosis of dementia: clinical examination and laboratory assessment.
abstract: Recent breakthroughs in putative disease-modifying interventions for Alzheimer's disease (AD) underscore the urgency of making the earliest possible diagnosis. In the absence of a convenient and reliable laboratory test for AD, the clinical assessment is still the cornerstone of the diagnostic approach. This article provides a basis for conducting an assessment within the realities of a busy clinical practice for patients complaining of cognitive decline. The assessment will enable the clinician to diagnose the earliest manifestation of AD.
authors: Memory Disorders and Alzheimer's Disease Clinic, Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, and UCLA Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA.
authors: M S
authors: MS
authors: Mega
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015415:Biomarkers; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers