Vascular dementia, which is the destruction of brain tissue caused by one or multiple strokes, may sometimes be misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s. The brain tissue is destroyed because blood vessels in the brain are blocked with tiny blood clots, which are a result of the strokes. CT scans of the brain may be used to diagnose this condition for certain, and anytime that Alzheimer like symptoms are suddenly apparent, it would be wise to check for such alternative problems.

Neurosyphilis, which is the term for unchecked syphilis that has spread to the brain, may often present with Alzheimer like symptoms. For example, the patient may suddenly experience confusion, memory loss and have a hard time communicating, yet only a blood test specifically for syphilis will be able to confirm this diagnosis. Unfortunately, if the disease has been left unchecked for this long, it is uncertain how many measures can be taken to curtail its effects once it reached the brain.

Huntington’s disease, an inherited brain disorder, sometimes shows among other symptoms that of severely disturbed memory and inability to speak coherently. Yet since this disease usually rears its ugly head in the mid-life years, it is not as often mistaken for Alzheimer’s as some other diseases; however, since a rare form of Alzheimer’s disease also sets on as early as the patient’s late thirties and early forties, it is entirely possible to misdiagnose either illness.

In rare cases, severe malnutrition, especially a lack of the B-vitamins, may mimic the effects of Alzheimer’s disease with respect to memory loss, communication ability, and judgment. The only way to rule out this nutritional deficiency is through blood tests looking specifically for the vitamin B concentration in the blood.

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