Hospital letter

[Pooches]

Today we finally got our hospital letter through a month after we went for out last consultation. My FIL is being sent for neuropsycohometric testing has anybody had that what does it entail. The neurologist hopes to gain a better picture of what exatly is being affected. I hope they hurry up with the referal.

[raincitygirl]

Hi Pooches;

Not sure of the application of the term psychometric, but assume it means the standard neuropsychological tests given to someone suspected of neuro disease or anomaly. I think they use names like the "Montreal Mini Mental" and such. It's a battery of tests that can be given in the neurologist's office, using verbal Q&A and paper and pencil. They test memory, learning, cognition, perception, spatial understanding, problem-solving etc. and may include physical tests to determine mobility, balance, spatial awareness etc.

Sometimes these tests are given to determine a "baseline" for a patient, then subsequent administrations in subsequent visits can determine any movement (deterioration) and degree of change.

On their own they won't diagnose a disease for a patient, (I understand) but in addition to physical examination, history and observation a neurologist eventually comes up with the "best guess" kind of clinical diagnosis as to what's going on.

My husband, for example, kept scoring really well on memory testing (I could have told them that...his memory was better than mine!..) but he got so he couldn't understand the relationship of numbers, couldn't copy simple drawings of geometric shapes, etc.... that all helped the neuro come up with the eventual dx.

Anne G.

[Pooches in reply to raincitygirl]

Thanks Anne I think this will be useful for us to see what is going on. My FIL has up until now been really good at covering and coping. Living alone he has been able to keep alot of the changes in him to himself. (Proud and independent) obviously now things have progressed he can't hide but I thing looking forward I I know his weak points I can start to get prepared. Think a little bit about where we may need to interject. This really is a nasty condition. To have worked all your life to have everything taken from you its wrong. Xxx

[raincitygirl in reply to Pooches]

It is wrong and unfair. They didn't do anything to deserve this. XXX. AG

[Kevin_1]

Hi

I think Anne has it right.

I would telephone and ask. Unless its part of a research project the only value I can see is that on later visits they will be able to say, "There's been a deterioration."

When we were offered psychiatric testing I asked to speak to the psychiatrist who quickly agreed there was little point. However it might just offer valuable things like a brain scan, so do check.

[Rowan8831]

My husband had this testing. It is standard testing of cognition , thinking, memory etc through verbal and written tests. It clearly showed a deterioration in his ability to think coherently and manage tasks which involved spatial awareness and fine motor skills. The deterioration in these skills and abilities almost exactly matched the damage in the scans of his brain. This was used in diagnosis and I thought it a helpful process even though it was utterly devastating to see the reality of the deterioration. It definitely helped me to understand why he was behaving that way. My husband has CBD. I hope this is helpful. X

[Pooches in reply to Rowan8831]

Thank you your reply is really helpful. Xx