As the caregiver of an aging loved one, it is important to note changes in their physical and mental wellbeing. If you believe your loved one might be suffering from cognitive decline due signs you begin to see, a physician will likely order various dementia diagnosing tests.
We wanted to provide you with some of those tests so it can help you better understand what you and your loved one can expect while a doctor makes their diagnosis.
Medical History Review
It can be safe to assume that your aging loved one’s current general physician has likely taken their medical history into account. Assuming you have been referred to a specialist at this point, you can expect them to require a much more detailed medical history. You should make sure to have the person most well-versed in your loved one’s medical history present during this step.
You can expect the doctor to do a full review on when the current symptoms started affecting their daily activities along with a review of any current conditions. If your parent has any heart disease, diabetes, or suffered from a stroke, you should make notes around dates and their treatment. The more prepared you are before this step, the easier things will go.
Mental Ability Testing
The tests that are given at this step can range depending on the specialists’ recommendations and what they have already found during the medical history review. Your notes on the cognitive changes in your aging loved one may also affect the tests given.
You will likely see your parent take a pen and paper test. A common test at this stage is the General Practitioner Assessment of Cognition (GPCOG). The test will come with a series of questions that each carry a score to help assess the answer given by your loved one.
The tests will look at their short- and long-term memory, ability to concentrate, and their cognitive orientation of time. The test will not be the deciding factor in diagnosing dementia as people lacking in reading skills may struggle on this step without having dementia. It is merely another tool for a physician to use when making their ultimate diagnosis.
Blood Tests and Brain Scans
Your physician will likely order a series of tests that analyze blood samples to rule out other issues that might be causing the cognitive challenges. The blood analysis will make sure that areas like liver and thyroid are functioning correctly and not contributing to the memory issues.
You can also expect your parent to have an MRI scan of their brain. The scan is typically used to rule out other issues like brain tumors or past strokes that could be causing the cognitive decline.
If your aging loved one has shown overt signs through the previous stages, a doctor might be able to make a dementia diagnosis without getting to the brain scan stage. If a stroke or tumor is a possibility, the doctor may also order a CT scan of the brain.
There are other tests and procedures that a physician may require your loved one to take but those are the general steps you can expect during a dementia diagnosis.