As Idahoans age, it’s natural to wonder about dementia risk or have early cognitive concerns. You may notice small changes in yourself or a loved one and wonder if it’s more than aging. Idaho Neuropsychology helps high-achieving professionals in Boise and throughout Idaho gain clarity on their current and future cognitive risk. Whether you’re at risk and want a baseline or starting to notice changes and want answers, the following explains what’s normal and when it’s time to seek answers.
The first group has no symptoms today but knows their family history or genetic risk puts them at higher likelihood of developing dementia later. They aren’t looking for reassurance alone. They want a real baseline and a plan to reduce their future dementia risk as much as possible.
The second group is noticing changes, in themselves or in someone they love, and wants an expert diagnostic opinion on what’s causing the changes—in addition to setting a plan in place to minimize additional cognitive decline.
If a loved one is already in a stage of moderate dementia, our Caregiver Support Services is a better place to start.
Some slowing down is a normal part of aging. Occasionally misplacing your keys or needing an extra beat to recall a word doesn’t mean something is wrong.
Dementia is not a single disease, but an umbrella term for changes in thinking and memory that are more pronounced than typical aging and often progress over time. Alzheimer’s disease, the most common cause, is a specific type of dementia.
We’re often asked about the difference between “dementia” and “Alzheimer’s.” Dementia is a generic term to indicate that someone is experiencing thinking changes that are greater than expected compared to normal aging, which typically worsen over time.
Alzheimer’s is a specific disease that causes these symptoms. The underlying condition is believed to result from a buildup of two proteins in the brain, beta-amyloid and tau, that disrupt normal communication between brain cells over time.
See the full list of dementia types we evaluate for more detail on each one.
Some causes of mild cognitive impairment are treatable, and even reversible. Vitamin B12 deficiency, obstructive sleep apnea, thyroid dysfunction, and certain medications can all produce MCI-like symptoms without any underlying dementia at all.
That’s why ruling out these causes matters before assuming the worst. If you’re concerned about recent cognitive changes, start with your primary care physician to rule out reversible causes. If you’d like a full baseline evaluation, let your physician know, or reach out to us directly.
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia often share risk factors, though the underlying causes differ in degree.
MCI can result from:
Dementia is usually caused by:
Genetics can be linked to some forms of dementia, but the impact of genetics varies a great deal from one condition to another.
Frontotemporal dementia has a strong genetic component in some families. However, most cases are not inherited. A family history of the condition is found in only a third of patients, while the remainder occur without a clear inherited cause.
For the majority of people with dementia, including most Alzheimer’s disease, there isn’t a single cause. The condition develops from a combination of many genes and lifestyle and environmental factors. Age is, by far, the greatest risk factor.
Early signs vary by type, but common ones include:
Because symptoms differ by dementia type, an accurate diagnosis shapes what happens next.
Your primary care physician (PCP) will typically address concerns about mild cognitive impairment through routine cognitive screening and ruling out reversible causes like medication side effects. If concerns persist, your PCP will likely refer you to a specialist for a full evaluation.
Idaho Neuropsychology offers comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations led by Dr. J. “Audie” Black, board-certified by the American Board of Professional Neuropsychology (ABN), to identify the causes of a patient’s cognitive changes and guide next steps.
Visit our dementia testing page for complete details on what to expect.
As of this writing, there’s no cure for dementia, though some forms, such as normal pressure hydrocephalus, are considered potentially reversible to a certain degree. Mild cognitive impairment is a different picture. With aggressive early intervention that addresses underlying risk factors like cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome, cognitive decline can sometimes be slowed, and in some individuals, partially reversed. This is why early identification and treatment of MCI matters: intervention at this stage can improve quality of life and reduce further decline.
For dementia itself, medications and lifestyle modifications can help slow progression and support everyday functioning, but they don’t reverse the underlying condition.
Several factors are associated with supporting brain health and reducing risk:
Should you be concerned about yourself or a loved one, early diagnosis is always recommended. Clarity provides more time for treatments to be effective and allows you and your family to set an actionable plan in place.
If you’re considering an evaluation for yourself or a loved one, you’ve probably had some version of these thoughts.
Concern on its own is a good enough reason to seek clarity. You don’t need to wait until something is undeniable to want an answer.
Most people find the opposite is true. Uncertainty is what tends to be hardest to live with. A clear answer, whatever it turns out to be, gives you something to act on.
Some causes of memory and thinking changes are treatable and ruling those out matters. For causes that aren’t reversible, an earlier, accurate picture gives you more room to plan financially, legally, and medically, while you’re able to be fully part of those decisions.
Primary care visits are brief, and a quick conversation isn’t built to catch subtler patterns. A full evaluation looks much closer, over more time, and with tools a routine visit doesn’t use.
Getting clarity about your health isn’t raising an alarm. Most people who come in for a baseline evaluation are exactly that, establishing a baseline, not confirming a fear. And if it turns out to be nothing, that’s information your family gets to have too.
Once you’ve decided to get an answer, it helps to understand the different ways cognitive concerns get evaluated in Idaho, because they are not interchangeable.
Primary Care Screening
Brief cognitive screening tool Administered by primary care physician or one of their clinical staff members Useful for flagging that something may warrant a closer look Aren't designed to explain what's causing a change, how severe it is, or what to do next. A screening is a starting point, not an answer.
Online Quizzes and Screening Apps
Idaho Neuropsychology does not recommend There isn't a well-validated version of this kind of tool Can be falsely reassuring or falsely alarming
Computerized Testing
Moderate length screening tests administered on a computer or iPad. Can provide more in-depth evaluation than basic office screening at PCP's office. Often lack sensitivity to more subtle changes that high achieving professionals experience, particularly earlier in a disease process. Are not meant to be diagnostic of what's causing the cognitive change; measure whether more significant impairments might be present.
A neuropsychologist completes specialized postdoctoral training focused specifically on the relationship between brain function and behavior. Dr. J. Audie Black, Ph.D., is board-certified from the American Board of Professional Neuropsychology (ABN), one of only a small number of neuropsychologists in Idaho with this credential. A comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation goes beyond a screening result to map how different brain systems, memory, attention, processing speed, language, and executive function, are functioning relative to one another, which is what allows for an accurate, individualized answer rather than a general flag.
Idaho Neuropsychology offers two paths, and a brief consultation call helps determine which one fits your situation.
If you’re asymptomatic but at known risk and want a true baseline, the comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation is the right starting point. Visit the Neuropsychological Evaluation page for a full breakdown of what to expect.
If you’re noticing early changes and want an answer faster, the Rapid Neuropsychological Consult offers a single-session path to a same-week expert opinion, with clear guidance on whether further testing is warranted. Learn more on our Rapid Neuropsychological Consult page.
You don’t have to commit to anything by reaching out. The first step is a brief conversation with our patient coordinator, followed by a 15-minute consultation call with Dr. Black, which allows us to understand your situation and for you to ask questions, with no pressure either way.
Even if you don’t have any symptoms of dementia, you may want to get evaluated now, because the goal isn’t to catch a problem you already have. It’s to establish what’s normal for you today, so if anything changes later, you and your doctor have a real baseline to compare against instead of a guess.
If your cognitive or dementia test results shows something of note, you’ll get a clear, plain-language explanation of what we found and what it means, along with next steps. Clarity, even difficult clarity, gives you and your family more options than uncertainty does.
If you’re not sure which neuropsychological evaluation you need, that’s exactly what the free 15-minute consultation call is for. Dr. Audie Black will review your medical history and current concerns and will determine which path fits your situation.
Yes, family history of dementia or cognitive issues or a known genetic risk are valid reasons to establish a cognitive baseline, even with no current symptoms.
No. Idaho Neuropsychology is a self-pay practice, by design. A SuperBill can be provided for other insurance types on request, however, Medicare does not allow out-of-network reimbursement.
