neuropsych and wada tests

[peachy]

What in the heck do they do during these tests? I have to go in for a test that is going to last 8 hours while speaking to a neuropshycologist the whole time. I don't get the point I guess. Something to do with memory and finding out exactly where the absence seizures are coming from. Just seems weird to be involved on that. I also have to have a wada test??? What is that and why do I have to skip eating? Are they trying to kill me?

[Crystal11]

The testing is for possible surgery. I was asked if I was willing to have video EEG and other testing to consider surgery to get my complex partials under better control.
The WADA test from what I have heard is where they temporarily put one side of the brain to sleep and perform tests to see if anything taken out from that side would be effected too much.
They do this to the other side too- and I assume that the person doesn't feel much sense there isn't the same kind of nerve or as many in the brain that far down.
Other tests examine how you function emotionally, physically and with or without medications. I think there are IQ tests given too but I'm not real sure.

All of these tests usually means that the neurologist or patient or both are considering surgery or other treatments other than meds. Meaning that meds aren't working as they should or the seizures are medication resistant.
I was diagnosed with medication resistant Epilepsy since I have tried Dilantin, Tegretol XR, Keppra XR, and Lamictal. I was even on Tegretol XR, Keppra XR and Lamictal all at one time- but I got myself off of the Tegretol because I just didn't want to take three meds!

Take care, hope this makes sense a little better.

[Nakamova]

The memory part of the neuropsych evaluation is a way to get a baseline reading on how well your memory is functioning right now. It can take 2 to 3 hours and involves a wide variety of tests -- things like reciting numbers or words after the tester lists them, looking at a picture and then drawing as much as you can remember from memory, figuring out the next item in a series, answering questions about a story you've been told, etc. It's not mean to be stressful, and you can't "fail" it, it's just a way of gauging your memory skills, and seeing if the seizures are affecting your memory in any obvious way.