There's no definitive way to test for Alzheimer's. The only conclusive test is an autopsy. But neurologists have a series of questions and writing tests that can give clues about the memory problems.

Testing for Alzheimers disease is an involved process, in reality it may be more of a series of tests rather than a single test.  The reason for the complicated procedures involved when testing for Alzheimers disease is that it greatly resembles other forms of senile dementia.  There are several classifications for the different testing for Alzheimers disease.

Patient History and Physical Exams

A patient’s history can be a very important indicator of whether or not they may be predisposed to Alzheimers disease or other forms of dementia.  For example, if the patient had a parent and/or siblings that were affect by the disease they may be more likely to be affected by it as well.

Physical exams can help to eliminate other disease states that may appear to be Alzheimers or dementia.  These exams also help doctors to get an overall picture of the patient’s health.

Mental State Exams and Laboratory Tests

Mental state exams are small tests that help doctors to see where their patient is at in regards to problem solving skills, attention span, and short-term memory.  These tests can help to identify and problem areas.

Laboratory tests are standard when diagnosing many illnesses.  There are literally hundreds of tests at a doctor’s disposal, many of which may come in handy when testing for Alzheimers disease.  The most common laboratory tests are blood or urine-based.  At times, testing spinal fluid may be done as well.  There are new blood tests that can test for an Alzheimers gene with certain strains of Alzheimers.

Other Tests

There are a variety of other tests that doctors have had their disposal to help diagnose Alzheimers disease.  The chest x-ray is a common diagnostic tool used by doctors mainly to rule out other diseases that could cause similar symptoms to Alzheimers disease.  This tool shows doctors a picture of the inside of a person’s body with the use of small doses of radiation. 

A CT or CAT scan (Computed Tomography) takes multiple pictures of a person’s body from different angles very quickly.  These images are put into a computer which puts them together into images that show various areas of the body.  These scans can be helpful when testing for Alzheimers disease because they may show atrophy (shrinking) of the brain (a common Alzheimers indicator) or possibly other causes for Alzheimers-like symptoms. 

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) tests can help when testing for Alzheimers disease by using radio waves to show images from a patient’s body.  These images can reveal diseases like stroke or tumors that may cause Alzheimers-like symptoms.

My mother's neurologist told me she didn't have all the classic symptoms of Alzheimers and thought maybe she'd had a stroke or mini-strokes. She lived alone, so that was certainly a possibility. No one would have noticed. However, MRI and CT scans showed no signs of a stroke. I personally believe it affects everyone differently and you must be aware of changes in behavior and memory. Compare to how they were a year in the past. I think some people realize they are having a serious problem but others refuse to face reality. Family and friends are important in catching this early.