If I am somewhat more forgetful than I used to be, does this mean that I am in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease?
Most people’s memory abilities decline with age, so you cannot tell whether you have a memory problem by comparing your memory to the way it used to be when you were younger. Neuropsychological assessment helps in this regard by comparing your memory performance on standardized tests to the performance of others in your own age group, much as is done with height and weight charts. Neuropsychological assessment also produces objective scores that can be used to do comparative assessments over time in order to determine whether one’s memory abilities are significantly declining.
Can emotions affect my thinking?
Depression or anxiety can lead to a lowering of overall cognitive functioning. A neuropsychologist can work together with a psychiatrist to improve your overall level of functioning and to determine whether there is a cognitive problem that is separate from the affective disorder.
Why do I have vivid memories of things that happened in the past, but no memory of what I did last week?
Memories are formed by a part of the brain called the hippocampus, and damage to this part of the brain will lead to less efficient encoding of all new memories. Once memories have been encoded by the hippocampus, they are put into permanent storage so that they may be preserved when more recent memories are not being adequately stored.
Is it possible to continue working with an illness or injury to the brain?
In many cases, it is possible to continue working or attending school after an injury or disorder of the brain. Neuropsychological assessment is useful in determining what types of work might be best suited to an individual and what learning strategies will facilitate academic pursuits or on-the-job training. It is often necessary to modify one’s ambitions after a brain injury, but continued involvement in work and educational pursuits can often be achieved, especially with appropriate assessment and treatment.