Patients with Alzheimer’s disease need to be examined by laboratory tests, physical and neurological examinations, electroencephalograms, imaging tests and neuropsychological tests.
1. Laboratory examination: Alzheimer’s disease patients need to do blood biochemistry, urine routine blood routine, cerebrospinal fluid examination for comprehensive diagnosis and analysis. Among them, cerebrospinal fluid examination may show a decrease in amyloid-42 (Aβ42) level and an increase in total tau protein and phosphorylated tau protein.
2. Physical and neurological examination: patients need to do muscle strength, muscle tone, balance, coordination, visual and auditory examination.
3. Electroencephalography (EEG): Patients with Alzheimer’s disease may have EEG changes (e.g., early patients may have a significant decrease in EEG alpha waves and later patients may have a slow onset of broader theta activity), and EEG can assist in the diagnosis of the disease.
4. Imaging examination: CT examination can show brain atrophy and enlarged ventricles, while cranial magnetic resonance examination can show bilateral temporal lobe and hippocampal atrophy.
5. Neuropsychological examination: Neuropsychological examination requires the use of some tools to assess the patient’s verbal function, memory ability, orientation ability, attention, etc. Commonly used tools include the Simple Mental Condition Scale, Cognitive Ability Screening Scale, Clinical Dementia Assessment Scale, Neuropsychiatric Questionnaire, etc.
After being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, patients need to actively cooperate with doctors to prolong the survival period and improve the quality of life.