Dementia has several possible individual causes, including Alzheimer’s disease, vascular conditions, Lewy body diseases, frontotemporal degeneration, and combinations of these and other conditions. Once a person has been diagnosed with dementia, the next step is to identify its cause or causes so that the most appropriate therapies and support services can be initiated.
Differential Diagnosis of Dementia from the Alzheimer’s Association provides useful information (e.g., a comparison table of various conditions that cause dementia), including usual course, presentation, risk factors, and imaging results.
Additionally, Understanding the Diagnosis from Georgia Memory Net provides educational resources about conditions that cause mild cognitive impairment and dementia.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. Current clinical criteria and procedures for the diagnosis of dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease were developed by the National Institute on Aging and an Alzheimer’s Association workgroup (McKhann et al., 2011). In addition, the Alzheimer’s Association Professional Resources page provides information, tools, and resources, including those related to the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
A Healthcare Provider’s Guide to Vascular Dementia from the University of California San Francisco Weill Institute for Neurosciences is an educational resource that discusses diagnostic and management considerations and the Alzheimer’s Association also provides information on the Differential Diagnosis of Vascular Dementia.
Diagnostic Overview | Explain the Importance of a Diagnostic Evaluation | Components of a Diagnostic Evaluation | Culturally Competent Approaches to Evaluations | Identify Conditions Underlying Dementia | Document the Diagnosis | Disclose the Diagnosis | Evaluate References