Diagnostic Criteria



A. Alzheimer's disease is characterized by progressive decline and ultimately loss of multiple cognitive functions, including both:


B. The problems in "A" represent a substantial decline from previous abilities and cause significant problems in everyday functioning.

C. The problems in "A" begin slowly and gradually become more severe.

D. The problems in "A" are not due to:


E. The problems in "A" are not caused by episodes of delirium.

F. The problems in "A" are not caused by another mental illness: depression, schizophrenia, etc.

NINCDS/ADRDA

Adapted from McKhann, G. et al. "Clinical Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease: Report of the NINCDS/ADRDA Work Group, Dept. of HHS Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease," Neurology (1984) 34:939.




Criteria for Diagnosis of Probable Alzheimer's Disease:


A Diagnosis of Probable Alzheimer's Disease is Supported By:


Other Features Consistent with Alzheimer's Disease


Features That Decrease the Likelihood of Alzheimer's Disease:



Criteria for Diagnosis of Probable Alzheimer's Disease:


A Diagnosis of Probable Alzheimer's Disease is Supported By:


Other Features Consistent with Alzheimer's Disease


Features That Decrease the Likelihood of Alzheimer's Disease:

NINCDS/ADRDA

Adapted from McKhann, G. et al. "Clinical Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease: Report of the NINCDS/ADRDA Work Group, Dept. of HHS Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease," Neurology (1984) 34:939.


Several sets of criteria have been developed to diagnose Alzheimer's disease. Two sets are the most widely used -- one from the fourth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), the other from a joint task force of the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke and the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association (NINCDS/ADRDA). According to neurologist Robert Friedland, M.D., chief of the laboratory of Neurogeriatrics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, application of these criteria by experienced clinicians diagnoses Alzheimer's disease with about 90 percent accuracy.

DSM-IV
Adapted from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Ed. (DSM-IV), American Psychiatric Association, Washington, D.C., 1994.



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