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What Causes Difficulty In Finding Words During A Conversation?
Question: Over the past year, I have noticed changes such as the inability to find words during a conversation and difficult performing regular tasks such as typing, claim processing at work and remembering where I put things.
Brief Answer:
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
Judging from that description there is a suspicion of cognitive impairment, impairment of higher mental functions such as memory, language etc. They can be the early manifestations of dementia. However before you start to worry it is important to know that in many cases where patients fear of having memory or speech issues actually it is more a concentration issue common especially in an anxiety setting. In menopausal women (I am assuming that from your age) that is even more common.
So the first step in evaluation is to determine whether there really is an objective impairment of cognitive function or just a wrong subjective impression. To assess that neuropsychological tests are done, sort of questionnaires administered by your doctor, a neurologist or a neuropsychologist. Usually a general screening test like the XXXXXXX Mental State Exam (MMSE) is a common tool, which assesses different areas of cognition. If abnormalities in certain areas are noticed more specific tests for that area are done.
Only if these neuropsychological tests show cognitive impairment is there a need for worry and further investigations. By investigations I mean tests to search for a cause as cognitive impairment may be due to many causes. So brain imaging (for issues such as stroke, tumor etc) as well as some blood tests like liver and kidney function, thyroid function, vitamin B12 levels are done to investigate for the cause. Management depends on the cause. Of course all this applies if neuropsychological tests show cognitive impairment, as I said in many patients nothing major turns out.
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
Judging from that description there is a suspicion of cognitive impairment, impairment of higher mental functions such as memory, language etc. They can be the early manifestations of dementia. However before you start to worry it is important to know that in many cases where patients fear of having memory or speech issues actually it is more a concentration issue common especially in an anxiety setting. In menopausal women (I am assuming that from your age) that is even more common.
So the first step in evaluation is to determine whether there really is an objective impairment of cognitive function or just a wrong subjective impression. To assess that neuropsychological tests are done, sort of questionnaires administered by your doctor, a neurologist or a neuropsychologist. Usually a general screening test like the XXXXXXX Mental State Exam (MMSE) is a common tool, which assesses different areas of cognition. If abnormalities in certain areas are noticed more specific tests for that area are done.
Only if these neuropsychological tests show cognitive impairment is there a need for worry and further investigations. By investigations I mean tests to search for a cause as cognitive impairment may be due to many causes. So brain imaging (for issues such as stroke, tumor etc) as well as some blood tests like liver and kidney function, thyroid function, vitamin B12 levels are done to investigate for the cause. Management depends on the cause. Of course all this applies if neuropsychological tests show cognitive impairment, as I said in many patients nothing major turns out.
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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