The best advise I can give is to find a doctor that specializes in Dementia Care.
WEBMD has excellent information on the tests that be done to assess a patient's condition. Here are a few 'quotes' from their website.
PET scanning is a three-dimensional imaging technique that allows a doctor to examine the heart, brain, or other internal organs. PET scans also can show how the organs are functioning; unlike X-ray, CT, or MRI, which show only body structure.
Neuropsychological testing studies the relationship between the brain and behavior. It is used when the patient is having serious problems with memory, concentration, remembering words and names, understanding language, visual-spatial issues, and a variety of other symptoms. These tests help in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions that affect thinking, emotion, and behavior. These include Alzheimer's disease, various psychiatric problems, like depression and anxiety, problems caused by medicines, substance abuse, strokes, and tumors. Neuropsychological tests accompany a comprehensive interview with the patient and may include tests to assess memory, language, the ability to plan and reason, and the ability to modify behavior, as well as assessments of personality and emotional stability. Neuropsychological testing also can help the doctor and family better understand the effect of a disorder on a patient's everyday functioning.
SPECT is a technique for creating very clear, three-dimensional pictures of a major organ, such as the brain or heart. SPECT scans involve the injection of a very small amount of a radioactive substance. Energy from the radioactive substance in the body is detected by a special camera, which then takes the pictures. SPECT can be used to see how blood flows in certain regions of the brain and is useful in evaluating specific brain functions. This may reveal abnormalities that are characteristic of Alzheimer's disease.
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Imaging (MRSI)
MRSI is a test that allows the doctor to observe certain substances throughout the brain without the use of radioactive materials. MRSI is an imaging technique that is used to study changes caused by brain tumors, strokes, seizure disorders, Alzheimer's disease, depression, and other diseases affecting the brain.
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WEBMD has excellent information on the tests that be done to assess a patient's condition. Here are a few 'quotes' from their website.
PET scanning is a three-dimensional imaging technique that allows a doctor to examine the heart, brain, or other internal organs. PET scans also can show how the organs are functioning; unlike X-ray, CT, or MRI, which show only body structure.
Neuropsychological testing studies the relationship between the brain and behavior. It is used when the patient is having serious problems with memory, concentration, remembering words and names, understanding language, visual-spatial issues, and a variety of other symptoms. These tests help in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions that affect thinking, emotion, and behavior. These include Alzheimer's disease, various psychiatric problems, like depression and anxiety, problems caused by medicines, substance abuse, strokes, and tumors. Neuropsychological tests accompany a comprehensive interview with the patient and may include tests to assess memory, language, the ability to plan and reason, and the ability to modify behavior, as well as assessments of personality and emotional stability. Neuropsychological testing also can help the doctor and family better understand the effect of a disorder on a patient's everyday functioning.
SPECT is a technique for creating very clear, three-dimensional pictures of a major organ, such as the brain or heart. SPECT scans involve the injection of a very small amount of a radioactive substance. Energy from the radioactive substance in the body is detected by a special camera, which then takes the pictures. SPECT can be used to see how blood flows in certain regions of the brain and is useful in evaluating specific brain functions. This may reveal abnormalities that are characteristic of Alzheimer's disease.
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Imaging (MRSI)
MRSI is a test that allows the doctor to observe certain substances throughout the brain without the use of radioactive materials. MRSI is an imaging technique that is used to study changes caused by brain tumors, strokes, seizure disorders, Alzheimer's disease, depression, and other diseases affecting the brain.