Diagnosing Dementia

There is no one test to diagnose dementia. Instead, the diagnosis involves a range of assessments and examinations, which can mean that confirming a diagnosis can take time, particularly in the early stages.

A diagnosis of dementia usually begins with a General Practitioner or GP. It can be helpful to note the changes causing concern before your visit to help you talk to the GP about them. Perhaps keep a diary to help you to do this.

The GP will generally begin an assessment by ruling out other possible causes of symptoms you are experiencing; this may involve running some tests, including blood tests and memory tests, as well as an overview of your general health.

The GP may refer to a consultant such as a geriatrician or a psychiatrist of later life who will conduct a full assessment to establish the cause of the symptoms. Click here to find out who’s who in dementia care, as they can work with you to help you understand the diagnosis.

If you are under 65, you will be referred to a neurologist or a memory clinic. If you feel a referral to a specialist would be helpful, you can discuss this with the GP.

The consultant will conduct a full assessment to establish the cause of the symptoms. They usually work with a specialist team, and you may see many people from this team. This process usually includes

• blood tests
• a complete history of family medical background
• a physical examination
• an assessment of memory, thinking and activities of daily living.
• A brain scan (CT, MRI) to identify any changes in the brain may form part of the assessment, but this may not be required for every case.

The doctors will work directly with the person who is experiencing changes. The doctor may also ask family members to talk about any changes they see or concerns.

After the assessment, the consultant will draw together all the results and determine what is happening. It may be that the review is repeated at a later date to identify further changes and confirm a diagnosis.