Alzheimer's dementiaAlzheimer's dementia is one of the most common and well-known forms of dementia. It is a progressive attack of the brain. There is no cure for dementia. Alzheimer's is usually associated with the elderly. With new technologies, the disease can be predicted years before symptoms appear. Genetic testing is one of the new technologies used to diagnose Alzheimer's. Since this disease has no cure, genetic counseling is required before testing, sometimes test results are reviewed and then if one tests positive for the genes associated with this disorder. General Information Alzheimer's dementia was officially discovered in 1907 by a researcher named Alois Alzheimer. He had a patient whose memory loss and other brain problems worsened rapidly resulting in death shortly thereafter (Castellani, Rolston, & Smith, 2010). Alzheimer's dementia affects individuals over the age of 65. This disease occurs in a small percentage of individuals under the age of 65. The literature varies regarding the percentage. According to Jorde, Carey, and Bamshad (2014), 3% to 5% of individuals diagnosed before age 65 are more likely to have inherited one or more dominant genes for Alzheimer's dementia. Unfortunately, it is difficult to diagnose this disease. Doctors usually prescribe numerous tests on individuals to rule out a variety of disease processes before diagnosing Alzheimer's. According to the Centers for Disease Control (2013), Alzheimer's dementia is the sixth leading cause of death based on 2010 data. Definitive diagnosis occurs after death. As stated previously, Alzheimer's dementia is a progressive brain disease. The images below are images of a healthy brain, an advanced Alzheimer's brain... center of paper... Castellani, RJ, Rolston, RK, & Smith, MA (2010). Alzheimer's disease. Retrieved from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2941917/Goldman, J.S., Hahn, S.E., Catania, J.W., LaRusse-Eckert, S., Butson, M.B., Rumbaugh, M. ... Bird, T. (2011). Genetic counseling and testing for Alzheimer's disease: joint practice guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and the National Society of Genetic Counselors. Retrieved from www.ncbinlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3326653/Jorde, L. B., Carey, J. C., & Bamshad, M. J. (2014). Medical Genetics (4th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Mosby Elsevier.National Institute on Aging. (2012). http://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/publication/alzheimers-disease-fact-sheetSchutte, D. L. (2013). Genetic testing and Alzheimer's disease: implications for psychiatric-mental health nursing. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing, 51(11), 14-18.