Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision Delirium, Dementia, and Amnestic and Other Cognitive Disorders > Introduction > Dementia > 294.1x Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type Sections: Associated laboratory findings., Associated physical examination findings and general medical conditions.. Topics Discussed: alzheimer's disease. Excerpt: "The cognitive deficits (Criterion A) and the required impairment (Criterion B) are discussed in Dementia. The onset of Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type is gradual and involves continuing cognitive decline (Criterion C). Because of the difficulty of obtaining direct pathological evidence of the presence of Alzheimer's disease, the diagnosis can be made only when other etiologies for the dementia have been ruled out. Specifically, the cognitive deficits are not due to other central nervous system conditions that cause progressive deficits in memory or cognition (e.g., cerebrovascular disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease), systemic conditions that are known to cause dementia (e.g., hypothyroidism, vitamin B12 deficiency, HIV infection), or the persisting effects of a substance (e.g., alcohol) (Criterion D). If there is an additional etiology (e.g., head trauma worsening a Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type), both types of dementia should be coded (see Dementia Due to Multiple Etiologies, Dementia Due to Multiple Etiologies). Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type should not be diagnosed if the symptoms occur exclusively during delirium (Criterion E). Finally, the cognitive deficits are not better accounted for by another Axis I disorder (e.g., Major Depressive Disorder or Schizophrenia) (Criterion F).The age at onset of Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type is indicated by the use of one of the following subtypes:..." DOI: 10.1176/appi.books.9780890423349.8538 The content above is only an excerpt. For full access subscribe now or log into your account below. You can also purchase 24- or 48-hour access; learn more Username: Password:     Athens Login FORGOT your subscriber username and/or password? Get a reminder via email: The email I registered with is:  Not a subscriber? Subscribe Today PsychiatryOnline is a powerful website that features DSM-IV-TR® and The American Journal of Psychiatry as the cornerstones of an unsurpassed collection of psychiatric references, including books, journals, and self-assessment tools. PsychiatryOnline’s innovative platform makes these resources easy and convenient to use, offering Precise and powerful searching across books and journals. Quick pathways to related material. Mobile access from any computer with a Web connection. Ability to download any book section to PDA. Links from bibliographic references to the full text of journal articles. References to material not located in the PsychiatryOnline collection lead you to PubMed. Learn more about PsychiatryOnline Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing PsychiatryOnline@psych.org or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.).