Mental status evaluation

[Lizard50]

Hi, has anyone had to go through the mental status exam for disability? I was wondering if its the same as a cognitive assessment.

Thanks for any feedback

[Amore55]

Mine was based completely on physical condition.

[NorasMom]

If I remember correctly, the mental exam involved me counting forward and then backwards, the last few letters of the alphabet starting with "Z" (fastest singing in my head of "The Alphabet Song" I've ever done!), some basic elementary history questions, and then the standard "can you remember these 3 words after I babble mindlessly for a few minutes".

The physical test was to close my eyes and touch my nose, walk across a 6' room, and stand on my tiptoes. Neither one spent more than 10 minutes with me, and most of that was paperwork. The hardest part was just getting there, because they now only do the tests in my state in a couple distant locations.

[Lizard50 in reply to NorasMom]

Thank you! It sounds a like a combination of cognition and general neuro exams. I wasn't sure if I should be prepared for a 4 hour stint or what. My testing location is about 45 min away but in the city so this should make for a grand affair.

[DM0329]

FWIW, I don't think mine was a "mental status" test, but, my neurologist did order a neuro-psych evaluation (more of a cognitive test similar to an IQ test).

He stated it would help my case. The test was proctored by a licensed psychologist and had many different tests, including photos, memory recall, puzzles, etc.

My test illustrated "my cognitive decline" due to MS. Per the written write-up, given my work experience and educational level, I should have performed significantly better.

FWIW, I think the test (and the write up given to the Social Security Administration) provided both a quantitative and qualitative description of how my brain was performing.

My MRI image was given a professional report detailing how the damage from MS has impacted by brain's performance. It stated that I should have performed much better on the test, given both my work experience and education.

It was quite sad and destressing to read, but it detailed my brain's decline. For me, I it was a profound report. At age 25, I was dx in 1994 (only Betaseron was dispensed in the USA via lottery). My follow up MRI in 1997, showed substantial "silent progression." At age 28, I started Avonex.

Due to increasing fatigue and cognitive dysfunction mostly (but balance, bladder/bowel issues too), I reluctantly went on disability at age 45.

After twenty years of working with MS, it became a struggle to get to the office each morning and work a full day. But, of course, this was all pre-Covid.

Do you remember when you had to shower, do your hair & make up, and dress professionally on top of a long commute to work? Doing that once is struggle now, but, how did I manage to do it five days a week?

Providing this response, makes me really understand "How MS is Like a Leaky Swimming Pool." I hope my fellow MSers here are familiar with that term.

If not, a NYC MS Neurologist (Dr. S. Kreiger I think?) provides an excellent explanation (with a graphic model also) of how both the lesion location and the natural aging process, impacts the cognitive and physical decline of individuals over time.

OMG: I live it! Do you, too? 😂👍🙏🌈

[Sandydemop in reply to DM0329]

I can't imagine getting ready in the morning just to commute by car 45 minutes to start my workday anymore. It's exhausting just thinking about it. Thank goodness I can work from home on my own schedule. Sometimes in my pajamas.

[Sandydemop]

good to hear everyone's answers. a cognitive test is that long test. mine was 12 hours over 3 days when i was initially diagnosed. It actually gave the dr, proof that i had MS because like Dmc039 my cog skills were way below my education and age. the mental status exam can be done in a few minutes, maybe 15. It may have you count backwards by 7s or spell earth backwards or remember 3 things but it's also how is your mood? are you dressed according to the weather? Does your facial expression match the content of your words? ie are you saying something very sad with a laugh or a smile? are you hearing voices or suicidal? Not something you can study for. Nothing to worry about. The answers will be either "within normal limits" or not. You can probably google it.

[twooldcrows]

don't have any idea of what you are talking about ...sorry ...

[Humbrd]

My optic neurologist asked me if I wanted to do a mental acuity test. Um, no thanks. I know what areas I'm slipping in. 😬, I don't need it on the record. Lol.

[NorasMom]

These are some very interesting responses. I was told by multiple doctors that neuro-psych or cognitive tests couldn't be used unless you'd had an initial test back in the days when you were completely healthy.

[Peruzzot in reply to NorasMom]

That is incorrect. Who gets a neuro-psych exam when healthy? No one.

The 2 that I have done so far, show that my short term and working memory are almost non functional but my long term memory is almost perfect. The first one got me retired from military service and the second started the ball rolling for retirement from my civilian job just before covid hit. Because of covid paperwork took to long to get processed so now I'm having to redo a lot of it because signatures are too old. I'm getting a third neuro-psych exam this coming Monday. I'm pretty sure that it will show that my memory is worse now right along with some other cognitive functions.

[NorasMom in reply to Peruzzot]

I am very interested in this, but clearly I live in the wrong area. My son's been waiting 3 years now to take one, but the only doctor they've tracked down who's willing to do it doesn't take our insurance. We're having the same trouble finding a rheumatologist. Our shared neurologist has been trying to find help for us, because we're willing to drive long distances if necessary, but even he's come up empty.

[Peruzzot in reply to NorasMom]

The first one done on me, I had to do an 11 hour one way drive to get to the specialist. I was stationed in Italy at the time and had to drive up to Landstuhl, Germany. (Actually now that I'm thinking about it, that drive up there was a little longer than 11 hours. I missed a turn off somewhere and ended up in France before I realized I had gone wrong somewhere. That added another hour or two to the drive up.) The second was A LOT closer, only about 40 minutes depending on traffic. The one on Monday will be with the same doctor. Outside of major cities some specialists are very hard to find.

[erash]

I’ve had 3 Neuro psych assessments for disability. Each 2 tiring days long series of pencil, paper and verbal testing. These were over several yrs. The first 2 were my request because of noticed changes. The last was for disability. The testing was done by Neuro psychologist.

[palomino27]

Yes,I did.Ànd yes it basically is.

I remember alot of it is memory testing as well.

If I remember right. 😂

[Sandydemop in reply to palomino27]

haha

[leking1]

I don't remember ever having a test for cognitive or mental assessment. I was around 60 years old when I appled for disability ( on-line) .An exhausting process that took me weeks. One morning I got a call from our local SS office, and this very kind voice introduced herself and said she had noticed that I had been working on my application for several weeks but I had not completed it. I told her I got so tired of answering the same questions over and over and it just drained me so I would stop and go back to it another day. She told me she could help me complete the application over the plone in a few minutes, and she did! She said she had submitted the application and I should hear something soon. My Neurologist had already sent her evaluation. Less than 2 months later, I got a letter saying I had been approved.

[Sandydemop in reply to leking1]

congrats Linda

[Neworleanslady]

Wow that is all very interesting

[OKgal]

Yes, about a year ago with a social security provided doctor. It was what NorasMom described and took around 45 minutes. Google SSDI psych evaluation and you can find information about it. My case is ongoing after 2 denials. I did obtain an attorney after the first denial.

[JTZES]

I thought the test was the same for everyone. I guess not though. I had a tuff mental or cognitive during my interview.

[ParadiseFound]

I'm in the middle of applying for disability. I just had my "mental status exam" last week. For me, it was literally just a 15 minute chat with a psychologist provided by Social Security. I wasn't "tested" on anything. One of the things that I told the doctor is that my cognitive concerns aren't really something that most people really notice even though for me they're distressing. I'm sure many of you understand this, but to most people I just don't look or seem sick or disabled. Honestly, I'm not really sure what the Social Security doctor thought. It was one of the weirdest things I've had to do to "prove" the impact MS has had on me! I'm not sure how typical it is for disability to be approved for mental or cognitive reasons, but the responses here give me hope! Best of luck on your exam, and I hope you come back and let us know how it went. ❤️

[mrsmike9]

Hmm. If you have it, let us know what it's like.

[KipAngCan]

I didn’t have to do a cognitive assessment for my disability. I went to an office about 45 minutes from my house I didn’t do stellar on the vision test and I was in a wheelchair. The doctor talked with me a bit and asked me to walk along a table using one hand. I casually mentioned that that is an exercise I do in my PT but never one handed. She stopped me, declared she didn’t want me doing anything I didn’t do in therapy, declared me unfit to work and released me. I was notified that I was approved for SSDI 17 days later. It took almost a year to get to that point but it moved fast after that. I remember doing mental acuity tests in a rehab facility after I was diagnosed but they weren’t long. I couldn’t do the alphabet backwards before the MS diagnosis so I certainly couldn’t do it after. 🤣

[pamgarner]

i remember my brother in law did,i didn't but i think our drs. notes have something in them,all of them!