Understanding Cognitive Tests for Alzheimer's

• 1). A cognitive test is a series of questions that a doctor asks a patient. The test is usually given in a doctor's office. The process is like having a conversation. No preparation is required.
  
  
• 2). A cognitive test measures how well a person is able to use his mind to think, remember, solve problems, follow directions, use language and concentrate. Each question tests a function that is used in daily life.
  
  
• 3). During a cognitive test for Alzheimer's, a person may be asked if she knows what day and year it is and where she is at the moment. This shows whether she is oriented in space and time. The doctor may ask the patient to close his eyes, open his mouth and touch his nose with his right hand. This type of test shows how well he can follow directions and keep more than one thing in mind at the same time. The test taker may be asked to work a math problem or count backwards from 100 by 7. This demonstrates her ability to use numbers and focus on challenging problems.
  
  
• 4). A cognitive test helps identify problems. There may be many possible causes of those problems, including medications a person may be taking, disease, injury or a stroke. According to Dr. Ronald Petersen, head of the Mayo Clinic's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, it is not realistic to think that a simple cognitive test alone can determine whether one has typical problems of aging or has Alzheimer's disease.
  The cognitive test is usually just the first step in building a diagnosis. Other tests may be needed.
  
  
• 5). No matter what the outcome is of a cognitive test, it provides valuable information. If the test suggests that a person has Alzheimer's, it allows him to get support services and medications that can make living with Alzheimer's easier. It gives a person and her family time to make decisions while they are still possible. If the results show that a person probably does not have Alzheimer's, it gives him a chance to get more testing to find out what actually is causing problems.