Dementia - Diagnosis & Treatment

Symptoms & Causes Diagnosis & Treatment Our Expertise & Doctors

How is dementia diagnosed?

Determining the type or cause of dementia can be challenging as there are many neurological diseases that can contribute to dementia.

Initially, your doctor will:

Ask about your medical history and family history of disease
Ask about your symptoms and patterns in the loss of cognitive function

Your doctor will then assess your mental function and thinking abilities through a number of tests:

Neurocognitive tests. These assess abilities related to memory, thinking and learning, problem-solving, reasoning, judgement and language. Your doctor will also assess your visual perception, senses, reflexes, attention, movement and balance.
Psychiatric assessment. Your doctor will check if you have any symptoms of depression, mood changes, or other mental health conditions.
Brain scans. A computed tomography (CT) or MRI can detect signs of stroke, bleeding, tumour or hydrocephalus (fluid accumulation). A positron emission tomography (PET) may also be done to check for the deposition of amyloid or tau protein in the brain.
Blood tests. Conditions such as underactive thyroid gland and vitamin B12 deficiency can also affect brain function. These can be detected through blood tests. Your doctor may also recommend testing the cerebrospinal fluid by doing a lumbar puncture to check for inflammation, infection or any indicators of degenerative diseases.

How is dementia treated?

While there is no medical cure for dementia, there are ways to help reduce symptoms and manage the underlying causes of dementia. These include:

Behavioural therapy
Occupational therapy
Counselling
Eliminating alcohol and drug consumption
Medications or other treatment methods to manage specific diseases causing dementia

Symptoms & Causes

Our Expertise & Doctors

This page has been reviewed by our medical content reviewers.

Find a Doctor

Snoring and Poor Sleep? Find Out if It's Sleep Apnoea

Is Sleep Apnoea Causing Your Poor Sleep, Snoring and Fatigue?

Sleep apnoea is a common but serious sleep disorder affecting 30% of Singaporeans. Learn more about its symptoms, health risks, and treatments to help you sleep better.

Feed Your Brain: How Your Diet May Lower Your Risk of Alzheimer’s

What does it mean to have Alzheimer’s disease, and can your dietary choices reduce your risk? Looi Bee Hong, senior dietitian at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, shares insights.

Dementia: What You Should Know

As cases of dementia rise in Singapore, here's what you should know about the condition.

5 Golden Rules to Prevent Dementia

More and more people are starting to develop dementia earlier in life. Doing these 5 things may help reduce your risk of dementia.

Losing Your Memory: Normal Ageing or Dementia?

Memory loss may be a normal part of ageing, but it may also be caused by dementia or treatable brain conditions. Getting the right diagnosis and care is important.