Has anyone done a cognitive test at their doctor's office.?

Sunkist said:
IF there's a legitimate reason for it.. but age alone is not a legitimate reason. It's just another scam too many people are falling for these days.
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I guess it could be a scam if insurance is billed seperatly for a cognitive testing, but I believe mine is simply part of my yearly physical. I don't consider it a scam at all, just a tool.

And you're correct age alone may not warrant the test but seniors are more prone to mental decline. Don't you agree? So your doctor sees you once a year, not daily, how else can they truly get a feel for your mental status?
 
Della said:
Instant fail for me. I never know the date, just never do, never know it's my birthday till someone says something. I lost a job interview 20 years ago over it. I could tell I had the job, she was telling me things like where to put my stuff and I knew I was almost over qualified. Then just before leaving I had to sign and date something. I went er-uh what day is it? She told me the day, but not the month and I went totally blank. There was a long awkward silence and that was it.

Do you ever feel like you have some damaged spot in your brain? I do and that's it.

huh-ew.gif
Image borrowed from Seadoug.
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that's a google image that little girl, it's been around for a long time... :D
 
C50 said:
I do one every year as part of my yearly physical, I think it's a good idea. Too many times us seniors down play or flat out ignore early warning signs of mental decline. Each years cognitive test creates a base for future testing, maybe score a 100% this year but next year you only hit 75%, that would set of some alarms and the doctor should examine more thourghly.
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What can they do to stop mental decline? Why test if no cure? My mother in law is living at a memory care center right now. Cost a lot of money each month and I mean a lot. She has not improved even a little.
 
jlhog said:
What can they do to stop mental decline? Why test if no cure? My mother in law is living at a memory care center right now. Cost a lot of money each month and I mean a lot. She has not improved even a little.
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While there may be no cure it may be motovation for people to get their affairs in order. And there may be steps if taken early, like life style changes or medication, that could slow the progression.

Frankly if I was told today that in a few years I would be in a memory care ward that news would time stamp my expiration date. Few want that life, so the more notice I have the better.
 
C50 said:
I guess it could be a scam if insurance is billed seperatly for a cognitive testing, but I believe mine is simply part of my yearly physical. I don't consider it a scam at all, just a tool.

And you're correct age alone may not warrant the test but seniors are more prone to mental decline. Don't you agree? So your doctor sees you once a year, not daily, how else can they truly get a feel for your mental status?
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I hope I won't lose track of your post, am too ill at the moment to elaborate.. am interested in your viewpoint, though..
 
I've not had that test, but my doctor talks with me for at least 20 minutes during annual physicals. If he believes I'm a step or two off, he'll probably run one of those tests.

I always know the date-ish. The date, location, current president, types of questions are to check for orientation in space and time. If you don't know the exact name of the building you're in, but know you're on the 2nd floor of the medical building on XYZ street in XYZ town, that's fine. Same with being a day or two off on the exact dates. Most doctors aren't looking for gotchas.

My mom performed increasingly poorly on those tests due to vascular dementia and spent the last year of her life in memory care. :cry: She didn't know the current year, nevermind the month or day.
 
jimintoronto said:
I cheat on the clock face test...I write in the 4 cardinal points at 12 3 6 and 9. Then I fill in the rest of the numbers. I once did it using Roman numerals. The tester was uneducated , and didn't know what they were. I had to explain them to her. JIMB>
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Love that! Good one!!! 😁
 
I actually requested a cognitive test and MRI about a year ago. My mother got dementia at an early age, and I've been feeling less sharp for the last couple of years - so I wanted to find out if I was in the early stages.

All my tests came out fine, but I still forget why I walked into the kitchen, where I left my car keys, and if I took my blood pressure medication or just thought about taking my blood pressure medication. 🤣

All joking aside...
No doubt, my mind is not the same as it was 10 years ago!
 
I rarely know what day it is. Why do I need to know that when I live at the beach and play all day :giggle:🌴🦭🐬🐳
My neighbor is a nurse. I told her I wondered if I have early onset dementia because I forget things sometimes. She said "that's not possible"...you only get that in your 50's and you're beyond that". Hmm:unsure:... I didn't know that....not that it made me feel any better😜
 
Lara said:
I rarely know what day it is. Why do I need to know that when I live at the beach and play all day :giggle:🌴🦭🐬🐳
My neighbor is a nurse. I told her I wondered if I have early onset dementia because I forget things sometimes. She said "that's not possible"...you only get that in your 50's and you're beyond that". Hmm:unsure:... I didn't know that....not that it made me feel any better😜
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That is a good example of.....Nurses don't know everything. Look this up on a respected online medical source like the Mayo Clinic. or Mass General's on line website. JIMB>
 
An interesting thread. Of course, we all deal with daily requirements, so we do use our minds. But does anyone have a suggestion about good cognition exercises. Something online, or in a booklet perhaps?

Every day, we may all walk around the house and yard, pick up bags of groceries at the market, and operate a vehicle. But none of these are equivalent to some routine of daily exercise. What about exercise for the brain?:unsure:
 
Every year as part of my annual physical. I have passed, so far.

Just to clarify:
Early onset dementia is onset before the age of 65.
Early stage dementia is the first of the three stages of dementia.

Not criticizing any single poster - I’ve seen it in many posts on SF over the years. Just hoping to avoid confusion.

It belongs in the same Hall of Infamy as:
lose vs loose
their vs there
your vs you’re
and my all time favorite…
rotator cuff vs rotary cup

No, I am not an English teacher. But I have done a lot of writing.
 
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