This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Investigations

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

There are no specific tests for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. The principle is to rule out the differential diagnoses, and to diagnose Alzheimer's by exclusion.

  • FBC – anaemia and infection
  • Urea and electrolytes; creatinine; glucose – to rule out diabetes; hyponatraemia – in case of renal failure
  • clotting, LFTs – for liver function
  • B12, folate – for vitamin deficiency
  • TSH, T4 – for myxoedema
  • ESR – for vasculitis
  • ECG – for arrhythmias
  • CXR – for malignancy and infection
  • urinanalysis – for sepsis.

Routine electroencephalography (to diagnose CJD) and syphilis serology (VRDL) are probably not indicated unless there are unusual features of presentation.

Other possible investigations include:

  • CT/MRI scan – check for tumour, hydrocephalus
  • Lumbar puncture in cases of chronic meningitis and TB.

In selected cases further investigations may be indicated:

  • angiogram
  • jejunal biopsy – to exclude Whipple's disease
  • cerebral biopsy
  • HIV test
  • white cell enzymes
  • heavy metal and drug screen.

Note that in Alzheimer's disease there is an early degeneration of the limbic system and the temporo-parietal neocortex. Decreased brain activity in these areas may be detected by positron or single photon emission tomography.

Reference:


Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page