A diagnosis of dementia will be considered by the doctor when the individual’s loss of intellectual abilities is of sufficient severity to interfere with social or occupational functioning.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual – IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1994), a manual used by doctors, the diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer’s disease include the following:
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 Presence of memory and other impairment(s) in cognitive function, such as altered abilities in speech and purposeful actions. |
| Problems in memory and other cognitive impairment(s) affecting social and occupational functioning. |
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| Problems have a gradual onset and continual progressive deterioration. |
| Problems are not caused by medical or drug-induced conditions. |
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The person is conscious and not in acute confusion. |
TAG: Criteria Diagnostic