What type of doctor will help diagnose the stage my mother's Alzheimer's?
My mother is 74 and was dignosed with dementia in 2007 and now her doctor says she has severe Alzhemier's. But she was first dignosed till today there has not been any change in her condition. I asked the doctor about testing to see what stage she is in but all he did was ask her a couple of questions. Can someone please tell me what type of doctor would be able to help me in getting more test ran on my mother.
Expert Answer
The appropriate doctor to do this type of testing is either a neurologist (or someone he designates) or a neuro-psychologist. Having no change in her condition within a four year span is quite unusual for someone with Alzheimer's disease (AD). I can certainly understand your desire to have more testing done. Neuro-psych testing is what mom needs to help define the diagnosis and make it easier for you to formulate a care plan for her. Since she is presenting as a-typical, I feel that it may be quite useful to you to know what is causing the symptom of dementia. If it is in fact not Alzheimer's, what is it? If you have a large hospital near you, check their neurology department to find the best clinician to do this testing; you can also ask your local chapter of the Alzheimer's Association for names of appropriate clinicians. Do take care of yourself. I wish you well.