Prof. Dr. Lütfü Hanoğlu, Head of Neurology Department at Medipol University Hospital, emphasized the importance of neuropsychological tests, one of the effective methods for examining the functioning of the brain. Prof. Hanoğlu said that neuropsychological evaluation allows for a detailed examination of brain health and functionality.
Early diagnosis of diseases that affect mental skills such as dementias has a great impact on treatment processes. Early diagnosis of cognitive disorders in neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, stroke and multiple sclerosis also positively affects the treatment processes. Prof. Dr. Lütfü Hanoğlu, Head of Neurology Department at Medipol Mega University Hospital, said that neuropsychological tests are an important tool in revealing the cognitive risks of individuals, early diagnosis of dementias, making the correct diagnosis of the disease by revealing the form of cognitive impairment and determining the right treatment strategies.
Early diagnosis in Alzheimer's
Stating that neuropsychological tests provide an objective assessment of changes in memory, thinking and other cognitive functions of the individual, Prof. Dr. Hanoğlu said, “It enables us to recognize the loss of cognition that has started in the period of milder cognitive impairment, that is, before the emergence of clinical dementia, and to understand which type of dementia it may progress towards. Early diagnosis of progressive dementias such as Alzheimer's disease and correct interpretation of cognitive symptoms of different types of dementia are also possible thanks to these tests.”
Used to differentiate diseases
Pointing out that neuropsychological assessment is also used to evaluate the cognitive effects of psychiatric disorders and medical conditions, Prof. Hanoğlu said, “It helps to distinguish between psychiatric problems such as depression and anxiety and Alzheimer's disease and other dementia conditions, and is used in differential diagnosis. Especially in dementia diagnoses, neuropsychological evaluation stands out as a distinctive tool. Due to the recent emergence of treatments to delay the disease process, early diagnosis of progressive dementias such as Alzheimer's disease and the correct interpretation of cognitive symptoms of different types of dementia have become increasingly important.”
Important for the diagnosis of cognitive disorders in neurological diseases
Drawing attention to the importance of the tests, Prof. Dr. Hanoğlu said, “Neuropsychological assessment is gaining importance as a comprehensive assessment that provides an in-depth examination of the individual's cognitive and mental functions. By providing critical information about brain health and functionality, these assessment methods play a fundamental role in the diagnosis and management of the treatment process of cognitive disorders that occur in the course of neurological disorders such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, epilepsy. Neuropsychological assessment is still the only method we have for the objective evaluation of cognitive functions despite today's advanced neuroimaging methods.”
Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, stroke, multiple sclerosis
Stating that neuropsychological tests evaluate various cognitive functions controlled by the brain, Hanoğlu finally said the following:
“These tests, which are conducted in areas such as memory, visual-spatial skills, attention and language, differ according to the age, education level and purpose of the assessment. In this way, it is applied in specialized test batteries created within the framework of the characteristics of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, stroke, multiple sclerosis.”
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