Clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

Clinical criteria for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease include insidious onset and progressive impairment of memory and other cognitive functions. There are no motor, sensory, or coordination deficits early in the disease. The diagnosis cannot be determined by laboratory tests. These tests are important primarily in identifying other possible causes of dementia that must be excluded before the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease may be made with confidence. Neuropsychological tests provide confirmatory evidence of the diagnosis of dementia and help to assess the course and response to therapy. The criteria proposed are intended to serve as a guide for the diagnosis of probable, possible, and definite Alzheimer's disease; these criteria will be revised as more definitive information become available.

Keywords

DementiaDiseaseNeuropsychologyMemory clinicMedicineAlzheimer's diseaseCognitionPsychologyPhysical medicine and rehabilitationPsychiatryPhysical therapyPediatricsPathology

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Publication Info

Year: 1984
Type: article
Volume: 34
Issue: 7
Pages: 939-939
Citations: 27723
Access: Closed

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APA Style

                            
                                
                                    Guy M. McKhann, 
                                
                                    David A. Drachman, 
                                
                                    Marshall Folstein
                                
                                et al.
                            
                            (1984). 
                            Clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. 
                            Neurology
                            , 34
                            (7)
                            , 939-939.
                            https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.34.7.939
                        

Identifiers

DOI: 10.1212/wnl.34.7.939