New criteria have been proposed for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease. These emphasize that this illness exists on a continuum and begins early on. This article reviews the pros and cons of these criteria. It also provides practical guidelines for psychiatrists whose patients may be affected by these new criteria. Particular attention is given to patients who, as opposed to their wanting to know whether they are likely to have AD, want to deny this possibility.
Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; behavior; biomarkers; capacity; dementia; denial; diagnostic guidelines; independence; memory; mild cognitive impairment; neurofibrillary tangles; plaques.