Where can I find testing to determine if my mother has Alzheimer's?

Ataloss, we took my mom for neurocognitive testing at the behest of the geriatric psychiatrist at the independent living facility where she lived. It helped establish a baseline ( as you say), which was helpful in explaining to mom why i wanted it ( she kept saying "I'm not crazy"). But it also helped quantify what was going on for the doubters in the family. Mom's anxiety was being driven by her very rreal loss of skills, but my brother thought that mom's anxiety was something that she was "bringing on herself". The testing showed him otherwise.

My mother's family doctor who also is a geriatric doctor gave her a test right in his office and by her reactions and answers he could tell.

My mother was tested twice so far, and we looked for a Neuropsychologist under Psychologists in the phone book. The testing was 4 hours long and very involved, as another responder indicated. However, Mom has never had an MRI as part of the testing. She did have a CT scan of the head to rule out any other reasons for her memory problems. Her diagosis first time was 'early Alzheimers'...meaning early in the stages....not early onset as Mom was 88 years old the first time tested. Last summer she was tested again at age 90 and was at the moderate stage.. Both testings were covered by Medicare and her Medicare supplement insurance and yes, we did have to have a referral from her primary care MD. I do agree that if you are near a major teaching hospital, to call them first to see if they have any programs. Another thought would be to call your local Alzheimer's Association to ask about MDs or programs in your area.

I just went for a test at the Boston Center for Memory. Thank God I passed. They told me that the standard neuro-psych evaluation, even in top medical centers, omits the test that is most diagnostic of memory loss. It was a real stress test on memory. The list of words to remember was at least 10 words. The picture to copy was more complicated.

They are in Newton, MA and do drug trials for dementia, and I bet they could recommend somewhere closer to you. Their phone number is (617) 699-6927.

Thank you all for your responses. Its all helpful

I don't know how much I really believe in this whether it be true or just a tall tale, but I've heard of the peanut butter test where they hold up a jar of peanut butter from a certain distance from the person they're testing to see how well they can smell it. Again, I don't know how accurate that testing is but there are people who also lose their sense of smell who don't have dementia or Alzheimer's, which is why I'm not sure how well I trust that theory. You can ask her doctor about it and see what they say

You can obtain a copy of the same test used to determine dementia by MDs, NPs and PAs at this address:

https://www.uml.edu/docs/Mini%20Mental%20State%20Exam_tcm18-169319.pdf

You will need a PDF reader to open it.

Print out the test ask one of the doubters to give it to her. It's very simple and you don't need specialized training to know if she can't answer questions or do simple tasks that would not have been a problem earlier.

There is a simple test you could try giving her. Ask her to draw the face of a clock (the analog type, not the digital type). If her numbers are all over the place, that' can be an indication of Alzheimer's. But maybe that's in the more severe cases.

It is worth testing because sometimes something besides alzheimers can cause dementia and some of those things can be treated. Once you know it is dementia, she can go on "brain pills" to help preserve brain function. People on those tend to get 2 extra years of relative independence.

No,not to me it doesnt. .testing isnt going to change any thing for her. I needed to to establish a baseline for where shes at now mentally. Im her caregiver and the rest of the siblings dont take me seriously when i try to express my concerns
So my hope was that i could give them something concrete.

Does it matter if she has dementia or specifically Alzheimer's?

Mom was diagnosed 4 yrs ago with dementia by a neuro psychiatrist but im pretty sure she has moved on to alzheimers. I tried to get her retested again recently but have had no luck finding someone to do the testing. Im told by physicians that she will need an MRI before they do paper testing and Medicare will not pay for an MRI. I dont know know where else to turn for this..any suggestions ?

David; I'm sorry that you're dealing with this!

We got a good evaluation for my mom at a major rehabilitation center that has a hospital affiliation. The testing included a geriatric neurologist, neuro-psychologist and a nurse practitioner. There was several hours of pencil and paper testing from the neuropsych, which resulted in an IQ score and other cognitive measures; neurological testing from the neurologist which included measures of brain function; and a psycho social workup from the nurse practitioner. Brain imaging was reviewed for evidence of previous stroke. Interestingly, this team saw evidence of a previous stroke that we were never told occurred.

So yes, ask mom's doctor, but call your closest university medical school, inquire about the department of geriatrics and see if they have any recommendations.

Your Mother's primary doctor can recommend specialized doctors to perform said testing.