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I did bad on my neuropsych test
I did so bad on my Neuropsych test, I felt plain stupid when I walked out of there. She would read me paragraphs (stories) she would ask questions and I just couldn't remember the story, not even bits of it. I forgot the names of some things on the pictures, like a sphinx or a tripod or stilts. Then she made me draw a picture from a picture and then later asked me to draw that same picture and I couldn't remember how to draw it. Then she said about 20 words and I could only remember 5, no matter how many times she went back to it and repeated them. At the very end she made me answer 327 questions out of a book with a key answer paper of true or false. The questions were crazy, like do you hear voices, do you love your dad, do you want to be a publisher, have you seen ghosts, do you have pain, do you have headaches, and it just went on and on. Then she went and looked at the questions to see what i answered on do you want to kill yourself, do you think about dying. And said goodbye and the results will be back in a week.
My next appt is not until September 9th with my Neurologist.
My next appt is not until September 9th with my Neurologist.
Oh, I missed my main point: You said you "did bad" on your neuropsych test. There is no "bad" or "good" on this GROUP of tests. There is only "this is an accurate assessment, and here's what it MIGHT mean," or "we don't see anything notably different here from the statistical norm."
FWIW, I felt the same way you did, until I went in for an hour's consult with the neuropsychologist whose office had administered the assessment. His explanation and his answers to my questions were very helpful toward my understanding of the results. Note that he had scheduled a half-hour, but found me to be more inquisitive (and perhaps wordy) than the "typical" patient!
Best wishes.
FWIW, I felt the same way you did, until I went in for an hour's consult with the neuropsychologist whose office had administered the assessment. His explanation and his answers to my questions were very helpful toward my understanding of the results. Note that he had scheduled a half-hour, but found me to be more inquisitive (and perhaps wordy) than the "typical" patient!
Best wishes.
Mary and The Quixter gave you good answers here.
The English language, I have learned, has some limitations, and each person's grasp of it is different. We should not use the term "test" at all when describing a neuropsychological asssessment.
Firstly, it is a group of "tests," none of which tell us much on their own. I can "test" your knee reflexes, but on their own, they don't tell me much. I sure can't point to any particular cause, much less a plan of action, if I find your reflexes to be any different from what I have come to understand as "normal."
The neuropsych profile is intended to put together a reasonably comprehensive understanding of your condition's effects in certain systems, not to score/rank you against others, but to show what your health problem(s) might (or might not) be doing (or not doing) to your intellectual and social processes, as well as associated emotional systems.
In assessing a used car, one should look at the odometer, the engine, the paint, the upholstery, the tires, etc. None of these things alone is enough to give a clear picture of the car's overall condition, but each is weighed on its own merits, then combined with all the other factors observed. For a potential buyer, those factors are filtered through a list of priorities, as well. (Color is less important to me than the condition of the paint, for example.)
Your brain and body need to be assessed in various ways to see how they are functioning, and to see how the various systems interact with one another. Neuropsychological assessment is one of many tools that help to clarify the doctor's view of just what is happening inside of your body's information transmission and processing systems.
The English language, I have learned, has some limitations, and each person's grasp of it is different. We should not use the term "test" at all when describing a neuropsychological asssessment.
Firstly, it is a group of "tests," none of which tell us much on their own. I can "test" your knee reflexes, but on their own, they don't tell me much. I sure can't point to any particular cause, much less a plan of action, if I find your reflexes to be any different from what I have come to understand as "normal."
The neuropsych profile is intended to put together a reasonably comprehensive understanding of your condition's effects in certain systems, not to score/rank you against others, but to show what your health problem(s) might (or might not) be doing (or not doing) to your intellectual and social processes, as well as associated emotional systems.
In assessing a used car, one should look at the odometer, the engine, the paint, the upholstery, the tires, etc. None of these things alone is enough to give a clear picture of the car's overall condition, but each is weighed on its own merits, then combined with all the other factors observed. For a potential buyer, those factors are filtered through a list of priorities, as well. (Color is less important to me than the condition of the paint, for example.)
Your brain and body need to be assessed in various ways to see how they are functioning, and to see how the various systems interact with one another. Neuropsychological assessment is one of many tools that help to clarify the doctor's view of just what is happening inside of your body's information transmission and processing systems.
Thank you for the encouragement. My memory problems bother me because I use to have a photographic memory in my 20's and now suddenly in the last 3 months i am having memory problems.
It only took 4 hours, nothing to be nervous about. It's done in an office setting. They sit on one side of a desk and you sit on another. Good luck on your test!
These are tiring tests and no one fails them. I have taken some tests in the last few years and had my cognitive deficiencies stare back at me. It is no fun. And it can be very telling how our performance falls off as we tire mentally - and physically. I can't imagine sitting for 4, 6 or 8 hours trying to keep my brain on. It's no more secure some days than a bad toupe'.
Many of us have been in your shoes. Just know we understand. Have some ice cream, watch a funny movie and get some sleep.
Hugs from here
Quix
Many of us have been in your shoes. Just know we understand. Have some ice cream, watch a funny movie and get some sleep.
Hugs from here
Quix
You sure don't sound brain dead to me!!
Please try not to worry too much about your perceptions of these "tests". You don't get an actual grade on them like you used to in school. They should probably be more accurately labeled as TOOLS. They are often looking for trends more than right/wrong answers.
Can you be sure the normal or average person is able to remember all 20 things? I know I couldn't. Few evaluations anticipate every person to answer every question with a predetermined answer. If they do, they are worthless in my mind.
I took that true/false thing a long time ago. I remember it being very tiring and I suspect that is part of the design. I believe there are so many questions, with some of them repeated several times in various formats, to draw out consistent and truthful answers. Judging truthfullness could be the entire point.
I'm glad they look to see if the patient has suicidal or self-injuring thoughts/plans before they let you go. That's something that helps keep people safe and alive and shouldn't wait until next week.
It would be nice if they had offered some reassurances or general esplanations somewhere along the way. Unfortunately, the evaluators are usually as stoic and silent as the MRI techs!
Try to relax until you get the official report. There will be plenty of time for worry if they tell you there is reason for it later. But if you want to feel brain challenged go to one of those brain game sites! I feel dumb all over again every time Lumosity bumps me up a level. Sure do wish they could let me feel brilliant for at least one day!
Mary
Please try not to worry too much about your perceptions of these "tests". You don't get an actual grade on them like you used to in school. They should probably be more accurately labeled as TOOLS. They are often looking for trends more than right/wrong answers.
Can you be sure the normal or average person is able to remember all 20 things? I know I couldn't. Few evaluations anticipate every person to answer every question with a predetermined answer. If they do, they are worthless in my mind.
I took that true/false thing a long time ago. I remember it being very tiring and I suspect that is part of the design. I believe there are so many questions, with some of them repeated several times in various formats, to draw out consistent and truthful answers. Judging truthfullness could be the entire point.
I'm glad they look to see if the patient has suicidal or self-injuring thoughts/plans before they let you go. That's something that helps keep people safe and alive and shouldn't wait until next week.
It would be nice if they had offered some reassurances or general esplanations somewhere along the way. Unfortunately, the evaluators are usually as stoic and silent as the MRI techs!
Try to relax until you get the official report. There will be plenty of time for worry if they tell you there is reason for it later. But if you want to feel brain challenged go to one of those brain game sites! I feel dumb all over again every time Lumosity bumps me up a level. Sure do wish they could let me feel brilliant for at least one day!
Mary
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actually- I think people do fail these test, insurance companies use them to support not paying claims or disabilitities. If that is the case then is that not failing if your claim is denied;? Also, there can be two different answers to two different questions when the questions sound similar. For instance the question ;I Am happy with my sex could be answered yes by a person who is happy they do not have a sexual deviation, however they might answer the question My sex life is fulfilling by answering no if they have not had sex or intimacy for awhile. If the person answered these two questions truthfully- they could be to not be truthful. I would suggest people stay away from this battery of testing as they are purely the opinion of the test giver. For a better measure of cognitive and physical impairments I would suggest taking standard motor skills, fine motor skills and cognitive tests with a reputable treatment facility focused on healing, not by a Neuropsych doctor who might be focused on $$$$$
I go for my Neuropsych test sept 1st.....I am so nervous about this test.....How long of a test is it???? I have problems with memory ...and when I go to say a certain word a different one comes out that sounds like the one I was going to say ..but not the right word. I am dreading this test. :(
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