Cognitive Impairment & Dementia
Evaluation in Colorado Springs and Denver

Dementia is defined as a decline and subsequent impairment in cognitive functioning (in this description, I will also use criteria that some experts implement to define dementia as an irreversible decline in cognitive functioning).  To meet the criteria for dementia, a cognitive impairment must affect at least two cognitive domains of the brain.  Examples include: memory, attention, thinking and reasoning, language, judgment, and behavior.  Dementia can be caused by a variety of conditions, and the range of impairment may vary from mild to severe. Dementia and cognitive decline can also be progressive, which means that symptoms can worsen over time.

In the early stages of dementia, symptoms can include:

  • Dementia EvaluationsStruggles to cope with change
  • Subtle decline in short-term memory ability
  • Struggle to recall words
  • Repetition-you may ask the same questions multiple times without realizing it or tell the same story without realizing that you have already told the story.
  • Struggling with a sense of direction, even in a familiar area
  • Changes in mood
  • Loss of interest
  • Confusion
  • Difficulty completing daily tasks

Dementia or cognitive impairment can typically be identified by a neurologist in its moderate and severe stages.  However, when mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia is present, neurologists may refer you for neuropsychological testing to help determine if dementia and cognitive decline are present (i.e. greater decline than would be expected for one’s age). Neuropsychological testing for dementia can determine if a decline in functioning has occurred, and it can measure both personality and cognitive functioning in different domains. If you or your doctor believe that you may have experienced cognitive decline, our neuropsychological evaluations and testing for dementia in Colorado Springs and Denver are a great place to start the diagnostic process.

Test for Dementia