My biggest fear is being perceived as stupid. I'll take brains over brawn any day.
Like others with Parkinson's Disease who are well-educated and value their intelligence, my stomach churns when I even contemplate taking a neuropsychological exam. What if I'm not as smart as I thought I was? What if I've already begun the slippery slope toward cognitive decline?
When I'm worried about losing my marbles, I reduce my anxiety by taking neuropsychological practice exams. After all, practice makes perfect, or as close to it as possible for a Parkinson's patient. Two of my favorites found online are:
Mini-Mental State Exam at: http://mhosinc.com/Mini%20Health%20Exam.pdf There are three versions instead of one version, to prevent the learning effect of someone like me taking it over and over again.
Montreal Cognitive Assessment at: http://www.mocatest.org/
Good luck with your practicing to become the perfect Parkinson's patient.
For more of my stories on neurology appointments and neuropsychological exams, check out: http://katekelsall.typepad.com/my_weblog/parkinsons_neurology_appointmentsneuropsy_exams/
Comments