Diagnostic Tests for Mental illness

Home Diagnostic Testing

These home medical tests may be relevant to Mental illness:

• Child Behavior: Home Testing
  • ADHD -- Home Test Kits
  • Concentration -- Home Testing
• Mental Health (Adults): Home Testing
  • Adult ADHD -- Home Testing
  • Concentration -- Home Tests
• Mental Health: Home Testing:
  • Home Emotional Stress Tests
  • ADHD -- Home Testing
  • Concentration -- Home Test Kits
• Brain & Neurological Disorders: Related Home Testing:
  • ADHD -- Home Tests
  • Drug Screening Kits

Tests and diagnosis discussion for Mental illness:

In the U.S., mental disorders are diagnosed based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV). ⁴ (Source: excerpt from The Numbers Count: NIMH)

Diagnosis of Mental illness: medical news summaries:

The following medical news items are relevant to diagnosis of Mental illness:

• 30 percent of emergency department patients report depression during the past year
• Awareness of bipolar disorder symptoms results in quicker treatment
• Depressed adolescents may have a different brain structure
• Depressed pregnant women are more likely to have low birth weight babies
• Dual diagnoses of mental health
• High incidence of brain tumours and lung cancer amongst people with mental illness is explained
• Misdiagnoses of mental illness
• Powerful brain scans may be able to diagnose bipolar disorder
• Pschological disorder incidence higher in diabetics
• Research indicates that chronic fatigue syndrome is not a psychiatric disorder
• Seasonal affective disorder: a winter illness
• Self diagnose depression
• Sleep problems may be linked to mental illness
• More news »

Diagnostic Tests for Mental illness: Online Medical Books

16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the diagnostic tests for Mental illness.

DEMENTIA: DIAGNOSTIC WORKUP
(Algorithmic Diagnosis of Symptoms and Signs)

Routine laboratory tests include a CBC, sedimentation rate, chemistry panel, VDRL test, HIV antibody titer, ANA, blood alcohol level, urine drug screens, thyroid profile, serum B ₁₂ , and folic acid. A CT scan should probably be done in all cases. An EEG may be helpful in demonstrating drug intoxication. A spinal tap may need to be done to diagnose central nervous system lues. The best test for that is the fluorescent treponema antibody absorption test (FTA-ABS). MRI may be useful in distinguishing Alzheimer's disease from cerebral arteriosclerosis, as in cerebral arteriosclerosis small infarcts may be demonstrated. A radioiodinated serum albumin (RISA) cisternography study is useful to diagnose normal pressure hydrocephalus. Arterial blood gases should be drawn. Psychiatric testing will help differentiate organic brain syndrome from other psychiatric disorders and malingering. A neurologist or psychiatrist should be consulted before ordering expensive diagnostic tests.

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Source: Algorithmic Diagnosis of Symptoms and Signs, 2003

MENTAL RETARDATION: DIAGNOSTIC WORKUP
(Algorithmic Diagnosis of Symptoms and Signs)

Routine laboratory tests include a CBC, sedimentation rate, chemistry panel, serum galactose level, VDRL test, thyroid profile, and urine screen for carbohydrates, amino acids, and organic acids. Chromosomal analysis may detect Klinefelter's syndrome, Turner's syndrome, mongolism, and other disorders. If there are deformities of the skull present, a skull x-ray should be done.

An EEG, CT scan of the brain, and psychometric testing will often need to be done, but a referral to a neurologist should be made before ordering these expensive tests.

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Source: Algorithmic Diagnosis of Symptoms and Signs, 2003

Dementia: Physical examination.
(The 10-Minute Diagnosis Manual: Symptoms and Signs in the Time-Limited Encounter)

The patient should undergo a thorough general and neurologic examination and Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE). Look for focal neurologic deficits and assess cognitive function (memory, language, perception, praxis, attention, judgment, calculation and visuospatial function). Other neuropsychiatric testing is available.

Testing

 A. Clinical laboratory tests. The major value in laboratory tests is to look for potentially treatable causes of dementia. Basic tests should include complete blood count, electrolytes, basic chemistry (glucose, calcium, lipid panel), liver and thyroid function tests, vitamin B₁₂, folate, urinalysis, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and serologic test for syphilis. In addition, if the history indicates, consider human immunodeficieny virus (HIV) testing as well as heavy metals and toxic screens.

 B. Diagnostic imaging. Computerized tomography is usually sufficient to rule out surgical (subdural hematoma, normal pressure hydrocephalus, tumor) and most cerebrovascular causes of dementia. Although more expensive, magnetic resonance imaging is superior to visualize small lacunae and temporal lobe atrophy (2). Positive emission tomography scanning is very expensive and seems to have greater resolution and sensitivity, but for now seems to be more of a research tool.

C. Other testing. Electroencephalography generally shows nonspecific changes except in cases of seizures, CJD, and hepatic encephalopathy. The MMSE, which is a widely used, simple tool that requires less than 10 minutes to perform, enables assessment of cognitive function (Chapter 4.5). Expected results somewhat depend on the patient’s educational level.

Diagnostic assessment.

The differential diagnosis in dementia most commonly includes age-associated memory impairment (AAMI), delirium, depression, schizophrenia, chronic alcoholism, and mental retardation. AAMI is a normal aging process with gradual memory loss in absence of dementia or medical conditions. Delirium has a subacute onset with hallucinations, delusions, and psychomotor agitation (Chapter 4.3). Common causes include infection (urinary tract infection, pneumonia), electrolyte imbalance, hypoglycemia, hepatic or renal dysfunction, endocrine abnormalities (thyroid), and medications or toxins (anticholinergics, benzodiazepines, narcotics).

References

1. Richards SS, Hendrie HC. Diagnosis, management, and treatment of Alzheimer dementia. Arch Intern Med 1999;159:789–798.

2. Crevel HV, van Gool WA, Walstra GJM. Early diagnosis of dementia: which tests are indicated? What are their costs? J Neurol 1999;246:73–78.

3. Weiner MF, ed. The dementias, diagnosis, management and research, 2nd ed. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press, Inc., 1996.

4. Kaye JA. Diagnostic challenges in dementia. Neurology 1998;51(Suppl):S45–S52.

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Source: The 10-Minute Diagnosis Manual: Symptoms and Signs in the Time-Limited Encounter, 2000

Dementia: Diagnostic Approach
(Field Guide to Bedside Diagnosis)

Many patients are concerned about age-related forgetting of details, a normal phenomenon. This usually results from decreased attention. The fact that they recognize and worry about this distinguishes them from patients with early dementia. Normal forgetting preserves vocabulary and spelling and improves with cues. For example, patients with Alzheimer disease cannot recall a list of related words any better than random words. Patients with dementia on the other hand have difficulty with one or more of the following: learning and retaining new information (e.g., remembering events); handling complex tasks (e.g., balancing a checkbook); reasoning (e.g., inability to cope with unexpected events); spatial orientation (e.g., getting lost in familiar places); language (e.g., word finding); and/or behavior.

Subtle impairments in memory, attention, and concentration are often easily compensated for and therefore hard to pinpoint. Impaired judgment and abstraction on increasingly simple matters and personality changes (notably irritability) are usually noted first. The time course of onset is helpful in distinguishing dementia from delirium, but acute exacerbations of an underlying dementia that mimic delirium are common with drugs and acute physical illness.

The Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE) measures across domains of cognitive function: memory, executive function, attention, language, praxis, and visuospatial ability. A total score of less than 24/30 suggests dementia or delirium. Scores of 20 to 24 suggest mild impairment; 16 to 19, moderate; and 15 or below, severe. It also provides a quantitative assessment useful in following the course of the disease or response to therapy.

Mini-Cog Repeat three objects, Clock Drawing Test (hands at 8:20), then recall three objects. Suggestive of dementia when either 0/3 objects are recalled or when 1 to 2 are missed and CDT is abnormal.

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Source: Field Guide to Bedside Diagnosis, 2007