What is the point of seeing a neuropsychologist?

Neuropsych is helpful in that from my experience they are focused on documenting how the disease is manifesting and progressing. So many of the questions or tests will predictably be in your husband’s wheelhouse but the ones that are and those that aren’t help the Neuropsychologist assess stage and severity. That will likely be at least as useful to you as to your husband in terms of understanding his journey.

I had a four hour session several months ago. I have early neurocognitive disorder, but I have alzheimer presence in my bloodstream per testing for Tau and Amyloid. I also have the gene associated with a higher risk of the disease. So i wanted the neuropsych testing as a baseline and will repeat it every year to track objectively how i am progressing.

But someone should have done a better job explaining the process to you both.

Great answer!! I guess I just don't think it would have made any difference in his treatment. It's a bit like Tetris: fitting the piece that just dropped, into today's place in the puzzle and then waiting for the next piece to drop and dealing with that.

CrankyYankee; thank you for your comments that reflect exactly how I feel. I've taken my 81 year old husband to a neurologist for a baseline assessment which took 4 visits to utter the ALZ diagnosis and take away his driver's license. Whew. Thank you for that. His subsequent looking for others to show up at the dinner table and his need to go "home" suggests Lewey Body Dementia. The doctor's comments were along the line that my husband's behavior bothered the family more than himself. Hmm. What to do with that tidbit? We moved to a more rural area where there are zero neurologists other than zoom with his original doctor. Fine with me. His country GP is a straight shooter, has prescribed mirtazapine which seems to be keeping my husband more even keeled. There is no fixing this awful disease, so the best you can do is to keep him content. I agree, if the spouse wasn't a joiner and yahoo person before, no way will they be that way now. It would be anxiety producing. I am getting pressure from friends who feel I should be subjecting him to a battery of tests, try new RX, drag him around to doctors 2 hours away. Why? He enjoys a good meal, a good nap, and safe walks around the neighborhood where everyone keeps an eye out for him. The family put friend finder on his phone; gave him a special house key when we moved that has a tracer on it, and he takes it when he has the yen to take a walk. We can trace him and pick him up when he has been gone long enough..45 min. He has a taste of freedom, and we feel it is worth
it. Funny, now that he gets the OK to go, he'll come back in 5 minutes or find something else to do often times. I've had calls from neighbors..I've lived here a month...is it OK for your husband to be out? Just checking. It takes a village to raise a child and it takes a village to be a caretaker.

Just commenting on your puzzle image. I picture my husband's brain as a puzzle with all the pieces, but the pieces just don't fit together like they used to. Your comments have been very helpful to me. I feel like we are in the trenches together. Thank you.

Thats fair.

He cannot walk without a rollator, so pretty much going out means going to medical appointments, but that's okay with him. He's content, not aggressive, has a good appetite, loves a good joke and loves me, his sons and their young families. Just serious memory problems, both long and long term, but that bothers me more than it does him and I've learned to cope with that. Thanks for your reply. Validation for me!

Dear CrankyYankee, you are singing my song! I have a son who is in the neurology equipment sales field. He urges me and my husband to travel to bigger cities for bigger and better care…yet, from what I read, the new meds can only do so much, and for a very short period of time.
We too have had 2 2-hour sessions with a neuropsychologist. I was invited to leave for most of it, so I can’t say first-hand, but my husband was rather insulted by it and considered it a waste of time. Sessions were 2 years apart, and the 2nd one showed “very little change”. Hah! NOT TRUE in real life. It is my humble opinion that whatever is on those tests may need some revamping, as what I see is a lot of change! Best wishes…I’ll try to keep my mind open as I read the comments from others who may be more knowledgeable than I. But I agree with you.

I like to say that doctors have numerous patients but I only have one and he's "in my office" 24/7. We are the best observers!

CrankyYankee, first let me say I love your name! And yes. Excellent point!

My husband’s PCP recommended neuropsych testing when he complained of memory issues. He enjoyed the testing, I read the report online in the patient portal and the conclusion was MCI. I was astonished as it just seemed like memory issues related to aging, but I was in health care and knew MCI invariably leads to dementia, so I started being more observant and making changes for the future (finances, home safety, etc). Eight years later, while in the hospital, the hospitalist recommended repeat testing after discharge. My husband went, enjoyed it again, same examiner, same testing. The data showed a clear and marked decline. I used that info to become more serious about planning- updated wills, advanced directives, putting the car titles in both names, elder law attorney consultation, return to the state of his drivers license in exchange for a state ID card, reaching out to the VA to see what services might be available, etc.
I am very grateful to the neuropsychologist who did the testing, explained the data, and opened my eyes to what was going on and what I needed to do to prepare us for the inevitable future. Before the second testing, I was the proverbial frog in the water, making what I thought were little adjustments here and there and not realizing how much his cognitive status had deteriorated.