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What is the benefit of a Neuropsychological testing?
Caregivers: Dementia | Last Active: Sep 5, 2023 | Replies (38)Comment receiving replies
Thanks everyone for your comments. My wife of 52+ years has gone through all the normal physical (MRI, blood, ENT, etc) tests and the results from her Neurologist is she has MCI. The Neurologist has also stated that: 1, there is no cure; 2, no one can project how the disease will progress; 3, (and my favorite) if you have seen one case of MCI, then you have only seen one case of MCI because each MCI patients is unique.
My wife did have the neuropsych tests back in 2014 & 2015 but nothing really beneficial came from the tests. Other than MCI, she is very healthy and exercises at the gym 4-5 days a week. I do 99% of the driving and we are enjoying everyday by doing something fun and/or different. Some of the psychologists she has seen want to try her on various drugs but she has decided not to be a guinea pig for the drug companies. If her neurologist is correct and there is no current medication proven to cure or slow the progression of MCI, then why spend 3-6 anxious hours taking a neuropsych test?
Replies to "Thanks everyone for your comments. My wife of 52+ years has gone through all the normal..."
Hello!
Speaking as the person who administers these tests, it can actually be very helpful to have a diagnosis. There are multiple types of cognitive impairments, and each one has its own unique presentation and associated symptoms. Knowing what you are dealing with can help with safety issues (eg keeping someone from getting lost), financial concerns (eg who remembers to pays bills, and if the affected person requires additional assistance), and how to help plan ahead (eg keeping a big calendar in the kitchen or making a stable routine). Some cognitive impairments may mean someone is at greater risk for certain types of dementia. Each one progresses differently. Knowing in advance can help you, your partner, and your healthcare team know what to look for.
Testing can also give you an objective baseline you can reference back to in a year or so to see how quickly (if at all) someone is declining. The assessments can occasionally be aggravating for sure. I always tell my patients that NO ONE gets everything right; everyone has strengths and weaknesses. And if it wasn't hard, they wouldn't be here. They are designed to find people's limits. Lastly, even if you can't get through hours of testing, at least ask for a [quick!] screening test to help get you in the ball park until all parties are ready to do the full thing.
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Hi @tunared I wanted to respond to the last line of your post: "If her neurologist is correct and there is no current medication proven to cure or slow the progression of MCI, then why spend 3-6 anxious hours taking a neuropsych test?"
Speaking from my wife's experiences with these tests I observed that her only real anxiety was before the test, but that once participating she quickly lost her anxiety as she focused on the tests themselves.
Also in her case there was never any medicine or medical intervention that would cure or improve her brain cancer. We knew that, but realized the value of these tests was in their ability to help her, our adult children, and me understand and live the highest quality lives we could given her and our circumstances. I cannot emphasize enough how beneficial the findings of her neuropsychological tests were to me as her caregiver. They helped me formulate, plan, and then execute the very best life and care paths for her as I possibly could. Prior to those tests I was just stumbling around in the dark trying to guess which way was best for us to go.
Strength, courage, and peace