Hi I Have A Lot Of Stress In My Life,

Posted on Fri, 28 Jun 2019

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Fri, 28 Jun 2019 Answered on

Last reviewed on

Question : Hi I have a lot of stress in my life, mostly at work, but also at home. Over the past year or so I have been forgetting things I should remember. I have read cognitive decline can be linked to long term exposure to chronic stress. My question is is it possible to test for a decline in my cognitive abilities (e.g memory loss)? And what kind of specialist would I need to consult? Thanks

Answered by Dr. Dr. Antoneta Zotaj (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
There are tests for cognition such as MoCA and MMSE

Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to "Ask a Doctor" service,

I carefully read your query and here is my advice: cognition can be evaluated through a careful examination that consists of several standard questions and tasks that the examiner asks the patient.
There are several types of such tests with MoCA and MMSE being the most used ones. The general doctor can perform these in the office and if he finds you need more assistance he may refer you to a neurologist to have these tests done.

To conclude:
- tests for cognition: MoCA and MMSE
- specialist: a general physician or a neurologist (after referal by the general physician)

I hope this answers your query. I remain at your disposal in case further medical assistance is needed.

Regards,

Dr. Antoneta Zotaj, General and Family Physician

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj