How to Learn to Administer a Dementia Test
Dementia patients will develop a gradual and progressive mental condition involving memory deficits, multiple cognitive malfunctions and one of the following signs: aphasia or language deficits, apraxia or motor deficits, agnosia or inability to recognize familiar objects, and abstract thinking deficits. Memory impairment, such as current dates or location of things, characterize dementia. In dementia, deficits must be adequately severe to interfere with social or occupational well-being and must show eventual decline from a person's previous function. Great care must be taken to differentiate dementia and delirium, two conditions with similar symptoms.
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Instructions
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Research the disease conditions. Fundamental knowledge of the condition will be necessary to conduct tests to evaluate dementia. It will serve as the backbone for proper assessment and intervention during your career.
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Study and interpret the MMSE. Doctors use the Mini-Mental State Examination to evaluate the cognitive functioning of dementia suspects. The examination assesses memory, orientation, attention, verbal command and object recognition.
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Study and interpret the TYM examination. Test Your Memory provides a quick 10-tasks examination to assess neurological functioning. It includes the ability to write a sentence, semantic knowledge, calculations, verbal fluency and recalled ability.
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Provide brain scans. MRI and computerized tomography (CT) scans show changes in the brain structure and presence of space occupying lesions or degeneration of the cranial contents. An electroencephalography (EEG) shows the brain's electrical conductivity as dementia usually impairs it.
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Tips & Warnings
Only experienced medical personnel perform and interpret tests for dementia. Properly diagnosing that condition requires special studies and training.
Conditions that can precipitate dementia involve brain infections, Alzheimer's disease and AIDS, among others. Initiating a treatment requires a positive identification of the condition. The advent of technology now puts us at an advantage to diagnose an illness as early as possible. The development of different tests can also lead to an accurate diagnosis of dementia and rule out other pathological conditions.
In dealing with dementia patients, safety must be a priority. Patients can injure themselves if not properly supervised. Always keep medical personnel with a patient, especially if massive brain degeneration afflicts him.
