Got Results from My Neuro-Psych test today

Overall my test results were very encouraging!! I scored High Average in most areas with a few Superior scores! :)
When I scored in the borderline and low average in 4 areas, my problems were easy to figure out she said. I scored in the borderline area on speed of problem solving and  borderline/low average on attention and fine motor speed right hand (tremor hand).

I do not have memory problems at all! I wasn't getting the information in my brain in the first place! She said when it does get into my brain I have Excellent memory! :)

She drew me a graph to explain the "learning" process....   Attention> Learn> store> retrieve/remember> express.
Attention is the first step in learning. She explained, people with dementia pay attention and learn, but they can't store the information, therefore they can't remember it. My problem is I can't pay attention...but when I do, I excell! lol!

She said when information came at me at a quicker pace I scored the lowest.....that might explain my symptoms of zoning out and not understanding what someone is saying if they talk to me for too long...

She said she believes when my MS doc gets my test results he may want to start me on medication....she also thinks I first need to go to a "health psychologist" to help me deal with all that I have going on in my life right now. She said I play down my situation and stuff it instead...she said that is not helping my problems at all and might make everything worse. I honestly don't know how to 'deal' with everything....so I put it in a box on my 'brain shelf' and go on.....she said I can't do that anymore! Darn! Do you know how many boxes I have on the shelf!?!?!?

My report is several pages long....so here is her summary:

Overall, Laurie's test results indicate mild cognitive impairment consistant with MS in the form of diminished  processing speed and attentional difficulties. As task difficulty increases, these attentional difficulties and cognitive slowing impede her ability to efficiently encode information. That said, information she successfully encodes, she is able to retrieve.

Further accompanying the clinical picture is the evidence for sleep onset and maintenance difficulties, as well as depressive and anxious symptomatology and chronic pain. While the nature of Laurie's cognitive deficits are mild, when these symptoms are coupled with chronic pain and fatigue, as well as anxiety and depression her deficits are exacerbated which result in overall diminished cognitive efficiency. (end)

She is sending me to a Vocational Rehabilitation place. I also have an appointment with my Ortho-surgeon tomorrow morning....I want my decompression surgery done on my neck. I think this will help with a lot of my pain and some of my neuro symptoms. My neuro is going to have to clear me for the surgery. He said no surgery a couple of months ago because it was to risky...might give me a relapse....I don't care anymore....I want my neck to be fixed!

Thanks to all of you....any feedback or comments would be greatly appreciated!

Laurie :)

[supermum_ms]

Laurie,

Well now you know that your not as 'bad' as you thought you were, so start being a little bit kinder to your self :o)

hmmm i'm also a little bit jealous, my testing was not at all detailed, in fact i never even got a report, just the verbal information that i had 3 areas that were below average but overall my IQ was still in the average range so there wasn't a problem. Funny thing is, i have/had an IQ of 130+ so in the gifted range just like all my family and the tester was fully aware of that fact, prior to testing and again reminded afterwards.

I did annoyingly point out, that there 'was' a problem if I was averaging out into the average IQ range! BUT he was at a loss on how to handle the situation because he'd never encountered my issue (gifted) before and average isn't technically an indication of any cognitive decline.

Though what it actually means, is that i have lost a significant amount, at least 2-3 standard deviations or in other words 30-45 IQ points and if I had started off with an average IQ, I would be in big big trouble. lol For a neuro-psych you'd think he'd be smart enough to actually get that point, but alas no. The psych who fully tested my mental health, is my son's psych (specialising in gifted) and she was incensed! She even argued with him for over an hour but he still couldn't get past average not being a problem lol

One of the points in her conclusion is something that would be a really good idea to be proactive about, "depressive and anxious symptomatology" sometimes just knowing you have signs of depression and anxiety, can at times actually help redirect your thinking or at the least push you into doing something about it before it goes to far in the wrong direction. Chronic pain is going to make that more difficult but hopefully you'll be getting some help in that area too!

Hugs.......JJ    

    

    

[supermum_ms]

Laurie,

Well now you know that your not as 'bad' as you thought you were, so start being a little bit kinder to your self :o)

hmmm i'm also a little bit jealous, my testing was not at all detailed, in fact i never even got a report, just the verbal information that i had 3 areas that were below average but overall my IQ was still in the average range so there wasn't a problem. Funny thing is, i have/had an IQ of 130+ so in the gifted range just like all my family and the tester was fully aware of that fact, prior to testing and again reminded afterwards.

I did annoyingly point out, that there 'was' a problem if I was averaging out into the average IQ range! BUT he was at a loss on how to handle the situation because he'd never encountered my issue (gifted) before and average isn't technically an indication of any cognitive decline.

Though what it actually means, is that i have lost a significant amount, at least 2-3 standard deviations or in other words 30-45 IQ points and if I had started off with an average IQ, I would be in big big trouble. lol For a neuro-psych you'd think he'd be smart enough to actually get that point, but alas no. The psych who fully tested my mental health, is my son's psych (specialising in gifted) and she was incensed! She even argued with him for over an hour but he still couldn't get past average not being a problem lol

One of the points in her conclusion is something that would be a really good idea to be proactive about, "depressive and anxious symptomatology" sometimes just knowing you have signs of depression and anxiety, can at times actually help redirect your thinking or at the least push you into doing something about it before it goes to far in the wrong direction. Chronic pain is going to make that more difficult but hopefully you'll be getting some help in that area too!

Hugs.......JJ    

    

    

[PastorDan]

I agree with JJ (who, incidentally, has always struck me as well above-average).  It looks like you now have good background information to help assemble an action plan.

To the uninformed, I probably seem to have a lot of overstuffed boxes on my shelf, but the truth is I've sent them on to heaven for Expert attention.  Look up Isaiah 26:3 sometime.  :)

[grandmalaurie59]

Truthfully Pastor Dan, I keep sending my "boxes" to heaven but I somehow keep a string attached so they end up on my 'brain shelf"! The Lord has  been so faithful to me...ALWAYS! It is like I am literally split in two...half of me TOTALLY trusts in God and rests in his power....I KNOW everything will work out for my best.....I KNOW he is making me more Christ-like...I  KNOW......

....then my other half of me is full of .....He isn't going to provide for me I don't deserve it, I am not good enough, I deserve this 'trauma" ect.. ect.. ect. I am bi-polar!! lol! Seriously, I wish I could get my two sides to meet....I guess that is where the health councelor comes in! I have been a born-again Christian for 32 years...I have no excuse!

I am very excited that I do have an action plan...and also very happy to see how "smart" I am! ;)

I am going to look up the verse in Isaiah!

Laurie :)
I will look up the verse in Isai

[grandmalaurie59]

Hi JJ! this is my 3rd attempt to write to you!! My computer keeps 'erasing' everything I write! :(

I loved my NP doc she spent 1 and 1/2 hours with me explaining all my results and wrote down everything on an easy to read chart! Plus I have a folder full of all my results and comments on each test! She also included articles and places for help in my problem areas.

JJ, you are so gifted in your knowledge and how you explain things....AND tell stories! :)  I can't imagine you were even more 'gifted' and smarter than you are now!!

The NP said she could understand why I "freaked" out when I noticed my cog issues...because I scored so high in all areas and SO low in the attention and processing speed. With such a large 'gap' it would be VERY noticable to me. She made me feel better in so many ways! I had no idea that I was that 'smart'. I never had those kinds of tests before.

I just got back from seeing my Orthopedic surgeon. He is going to send me for one more pain treatment before he goes ahead with my neck surgery. I go next week for a Cervical Epidural. I already had a facet block which didn't work, but made me feel worse.

So good news all around! :)

Hugs,

Laurie :)

[jensequitur]

Memory is a strange thing.  I've had short term memory problems, but apparently the problem is with retrieving the memory - when it moves to long term, I can access it again.  I should probably retake the cognitive function test, and see how I do.  I feel a lot better, so I'm probably as close to normal as I can get.

[Guitar_grrrl]

I've never gone through such an evaluation.  Part of me is curious of how I'd do, and part of me doesn't want to know.  I probably should look into it.  I've had attention problems since my mid 20s.

Sounds like you had a really thorough evaluation, though, and I congratulate your NP for being so thorough!  You have info, and a place to start to work on problem areas.

[LilMinnie]

As they (whoever "they" are ;-)) say, knowing is half the battle. I'm so glad your experience was a productive and positive one.

Your experience encourages me to look into this for myself. I know I am having cognitive issues. Not to brag by any means, but my IQ was in the gifted range. Tasks and job responsibilities that used to come easy for me are now more difficult and I have to constantly check and recheck and even get a long time friend and coworker to review things to ensure they make sense.

I hope you find time to relax and enjoy the holidays!

Hugs, love, and blessings from your SFAM,

Minnie :)