Skip to main content

Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease Typical and Atypical Forms

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Neurodegenerative Diseases

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, with aging as the main risk factor for the development of the disease.

The classical form of AD presents with short-term memory loss and atrophy of the hippocampus and medial temporal lobe. With the progression of the disease, other cortical areas and cognitive domains are involved.

The diagnostic criteria for AD, previously based solely on the clinical and neuropsychological presentation, are currently implemented by the use of biomarkers and neuroimaging data. Moreover, the possibility of atypical forms, presenting with the involvement of different cortical areas, is taken into consideration.

Herein, the main diagnostic tools for AD are revised; atypical AD presentations and possible diagnostic pitfalls are also discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 99.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Finkel SI, de Silva C, et al. Behavioral and psychological signs and symptoms of dementia: a consensus statement on current knowledge and implications for research and treatment. Int Psychogeriatr. 1996;8:497–500.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Steele C, Rovner B, Chase GA, et al. Psychiatric symptoms and nursing home placement of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Am J Psychiatry. 1990;147:1049–51.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. McKhann G, Drachman DA, Folstein M, et al. Clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease report of the NINCDS–ADRDA work group under the auspices of Department of Health and Human Services Task Force on Alzheimer’s disease. Neurology. 1984;34:939–44.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Petersen RC, Roberts RO, Knopman DS, et al. Mild cognitive impairment: ten years later. Arch Neurol. 2009;66:1447–55.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. Dubois B, Feldman HH, Jacova C, et al. Research criteria for the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease: revising the NINCDS–ADRDA criteria. Lancet Neurol. 2007;6:734–46.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Dubois B, Feldman HH, Jacova C, et al. Revising the definition of Alzheimer’s disease: a new lexicon. Lancet Neurol. 2010;9:1118–27.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Dubois B, Feldman HF, Jacova C, et al. Advancing research diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer’s disease: the IWG-2 criteria. Lancet Neurol. 2014;13:614–29.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. McKhann GM, Knopman DS, Chertkow H, et al. The diagnosis of dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease: recommendations from the National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer’s Association workgroups on diagnostic guidelines for Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimers Dement. 2011;7:263–9.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 5th ed. Arlington: American Psychiatric Publishing; 2013.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  10. Benson DF, Davis RJ, Snyder BD. Posterior cortical atrophy. Arch Neurol. 1988;45:789–93.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Lehmann M, Crutch SJ, Ridgway GR, et al. Cortical thickness and voxel-based morphometry in posterior cortical atrophy and typical Alzheimer’s disease. Neurobiol Aging. 2011;32:1466–76.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Snowden JS, Stopford CL, Julien CL, et al. Cognitive phenotypes in Alzheimer’s disease and genetic risk. Cortex. 2007;43:835–45.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Crutch SJ, Lehmann M, Schott JM, et al. Posterior cortical atrophy. Lancet Neurol. 2012;11:170–8.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  14. Renner JA, Burns JM, Hou CE, et al. Progressive posterior cortical dysfunction: a clinicopathologic series. Neurology. 2004;63:1175–80.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Crutch SJ, Schott JM, Rabinovici GD, et al. Consensus classification of posterior cortical atrophy. Alzheimers Dement. 2017;13(8):870–84.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  16. Blennerhassett R, Lillo P, Halliday GM, et al. Distribution of pathology in frontal variant Alzheimer’s disease. J Alzheimers Dis. 2014;39:63–70.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Gorno-Tempini ML, Hillis AE, Weintraub S, et al. Classification of primary progressive aphasia and its variants. Neurology. 2011;76:1006–14.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Mesulam MM. Primary progressive aphasia. Ann Neurol. 2001;49:425–32.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Rohrer JD, Rossor MN, Warren JD. Alzheimer’s pathology in primary progressive aphasia. Neurobiol Aging. 2012;33:744–52.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  20. Rabinovici GD, Jagust WJ, Furst AJ, et al. Abeta amyloid and glucose metabolism in three variants of primary progressive aphasia. Ann Neurol. 2008;64:388–401.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  21. Leyton CE, Ballard KJ, Piguet O, Hodges JR. Phonologic errors as a clinical marker of the logopenic variant of PPA. Neurology. 2014;82:1620–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Ghezzi, L. (2018). Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease Typical and Atypical Forms. In: Galimberti, D., Scarpini, E. (eds) Neurodegenerative Diseases. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72938-1_2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72938-1_2

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-72937-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-72938-1

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics