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Contents of this page: | |
Alternative names
Remote memory; Recent memory; Word comprehension; Orientation; Attention span; Cognitive testsDefinition Return to top
Mental status tests are used to objectively assess mental function.How the test is performed Return to top
Orientation:Attention span:
Your health care provider will test your ability to complete a thought. This may be evident through conversation or you may be asked to follow a series of directions in order to base conclusions on your performance.
Recent memory:
This is the memory of people, places, and events that have recently been involved in your life. Your health care provider can easily test your remote memory by asking you questions related to recent events in your life or the world around you.
Remote memory:
This is the memory of people, places, and events that occurred earlier in your life. Your health care provider can test your remote memory by asking about your childhood, school, or historical events that occurred earlier in your life.
Word comprehension:
This tests your knowledge of common items. Your health care provider will point to every day items in the room and have you name them.
Judgment:
This test measures your judgment and ability to exercise alternative solutions to a given problem or situation. For example, your health care provider might ask, "What would you do if a police officer approached from behind in a car with lights flashing?" or "If you found a drivers' license on the ground, what would you do?"
How to prepare for the test Return to top
No preparation is necessary for this test. All responses should be natural, spontaneous, and honest. Preparation, especially by a highly intelligent person, could distort the results of the test by making it appear that cognitive function has not diminished when, in fact, it actually has.How the test will feel Return to top
There is no physical discomfort.Why the test is performed Return to top
These tests are screening tools for cognitive impairment, and supply your health care provider with an objective measure of improvement or deterioration.Normal Values Return to top
What abnormal results mean Return to top
Orientation:Recent and Remote Memory:
Organic syndromes are indicated if there is a loss of recent memory, but remote memory remains intact. Remote memory is lost when there is damage to the upper part of the brain as occurs in Alzheimer's disease. See also memory loss.
Word Comprehension, Reading, and Writing:
These tests screen for aphasia. Some causes for aphasia include:
What the risks are Return to top
There are no risks associated with cognitive tests.
Special considerations Return to top
Some tests that screen for aphasia (problems with language due to brain dysfunction), such as those involving reading or writing, do not account for people that may never have been able to read or write. If you know that the person to be tested has never been able to read or write, notify the health care provider in advance.
If your child is having any of these tests performed, it is important to help him or her understand the reasons for the tests.
Update Date: 1/25/2003 Updated by: David Taylor, M.D., Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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Page last updated: 28 October 2004 |