If you are concerned about memory loss and personality changes in yourself or a loved one, you can see the doctor to be evaluated for dementia. Do not assume the worst. Most memory changes associated with ageing are not due to dementia. Also, even if you or your loved one are diagnosed with irreversible dementia, there are many treatments available that can help slow or even halt the progression of several types of dementia.

If you or a loved one visits the doctor with concerns about memory loss and cognitive impairment, the doctor will take a medical history (both personal and family history) and perform a routine physical exam. Blood tests will likely be conducted to help determine if there is a nutritional or hormonal cause for the symptoms. In addition, he or she may conduct a neurological exam that checks alertness, reflexes, sensory responses, and coordination. The doctor may also order neuropsychological testing, which assesses memory, reasoning and judgment, problem-solving, and language skills. Brain imaging using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computerized tomography (CT) can help show changes in the brain that can occur in some types of dementia and can help detect strokes.