Get a Diagnosis

If you or someone you know are over the age of 50 and are experiencing changes in your thinking and memory abilities, here are some steps you should take to learn more about your brain health. 

First, ask your primary care provider for a referral to a physician who specializes in brain health, usually a neurologist, geriatrician, or geriatric psychiatrist.

Your physician will likely collect some background information from you and do a brief examination. They may perform a memory screening to get a brief glimpse of the person's memory and thinking abilities (if you have done a memory screening before or with the CHILL Lab, feel free to share that information with them).

Your physician will likely refer you to get these three procedures done (and if they don't you should ask for all three):

1. Blood work: 

a) To check for biomarkers of brain diseases. These biomarkers are tiny substances that can appear in your blood when something is happening to your brain, and require specialized equipment to find.

b) To rule out reversible causes of memory problems (changes in metabolism, changes in medication, etc.)

2. A brain scan (MRI / PET): Taking pictures of your brain to look for signs of disease.

3. A neuropsychological assessment (with a neuropsychologist): Tests that you complete using paper-and-pencil or an electronic device (computer, tablet) to identify strengths and weaknesses in your thinking and memory abilities.

Neuropsychological assessments can be obtained at the following sites:

• • OSU Wexner Medical Center Department of Psychiatry - Neuropsychology Clinic (614-293-4969)

  • OSU Wexner Medical Center Department of Neurology - Division of Neuropsychology (614-293-9600)

  • OSU Wexner Medical Center Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation - Rehabilitation Psychology 

  • Ohio Health Neuropsychology (614-533-5500)