Management of Alzheimer's Disease

Diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a multistep process, but an early diagnosis can help patients begin treatment as soon as possible to help slow cognitive and functional decline. To comprehensively evaluate patients with suspected dementia, physicians should obtain a thorough patient history with informant reports, complete a mental status exam, and conduct the appropriate neurologic, laboratory, and imaging tests. Neuropsychological testing and new biomarker tests can provide additional diagnostic information. Once an AD diagnosis is made, a combination of pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic therapies should be used. Clinicians can provide patients, family members, and caregivers with techniques and routines to help minimize cognitive and memory problems, as well as inappropriate behaviors.