Assessment of Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a devastating illness, affecting over 5.5 million adults in the United States and costing over 200 billion dollars annually. In this chapter, we describe the clinical manifestations of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which constitutes a risk factor for AD and other neurodegenerative disorders, and describe the appropriate neuropsychological measures that tap the important cognitive domains that should be assessed in these conditions. We also highlight advances in the field related to the clinical diagnosis and biomarkers associated with AD, as well as novel measures that have shown increased sensitivity for early identification of preclinical AD. A summary of useful clinical tips and future directions in the field are addressed