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Early in the disease, Alzheimer's usually does not affect a person's fine motor skills (such as the ability to button or unbutton clothes or use utensils) or sense of touch. A person who develops motor symptoms (such as weakness or shaking hands) or sensory symptoms (such as numbness) probably has a condition other than Alzheimer's disease. Conditions such as Parkinson's disease, for instance, may cause motor symptoms along with dementia.

Other conditions with symptoms similar to those of Alzheimer's disease may include:

• Other types of dementia, such as multi-infarct dementia, which is dementia resulting from a series of small strokes.
• Dementia plus not getting proper nutrition, such as being malnourished.
• Thyroid problems, such as hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism.
• Depression.
• Other problems such as kidney and liver disease and some infections such as HIV (human immunodeficiency virus).