ABSTRACT
Cognitive losses, particularly decline in recent memory functions, are common with age (Blanchard-Fields 8C Hess, 1996; Craik & Salthouse, 1992). Because simi lar changes are often the heralding signs of pathological processes, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), distinguishing the relatively benign changes of aging from the more malignant memory problems of disease is a challenge to today's clinician. However, the tremendous advances in clinical neuropsychology within the last 20 years facilitate the diagnostic process. Based on the neuropsychologi cal definition of AD, the medical diagnosis of AD can now be more reliably ren dered based on the presence of ‘ mclusionary'' signs evidenced through a distinc tive cognitive and behavioral profile (McKhann et al., 1984) rather than based solely on the exclusion of possible medical causes for dementia.
