Evidence-Based Supplement & Herb Guides

Tau PET Scan: What It Measures in Dementia Testing

Learn what a tau PET scan shows, how it differs from amyloid PET and MRI, when it may be used in dementia testing, and what its results can and cannot tell you.

Tau PET is a specialized brain imaging test used in some dementia evaluations to look for abnormal tau protein patterns in the brain. It...

Thyroid Testing for Anxiety, Depression, and Brain Fog

Learn when doctors order thyroid tests for anxiety, depression, and brain fog, which labs matter most, how results are interpreted, and what thyroid testing can and cannot explain.

Anxiety, low mood, poor concentration, mental slowing, and “brain fog” can have many causes. Sleep loss, stress, depression, medication effects, low iron, vitamin B12...

Toxicology Screening in Mental Health and Brain Symptom Workups

Learn when toxicology screening is used in mental health and brain symptom workups, what drug screens actually detect, how false positives and false negatives happen, and when results meaningfully change diagnosis or treatment.

Toxicology screening can be useful when mood changes, confusion, psychosis, memory problems, severe anxiety, or brain fog may be related to alcohol, medications, recreational...

Vanderbilt ADHD Test: What Parents Should Know

Learn what the Vanderbilt ADHD Test measures, how parent and teacher forms are scored, what the results can and cannot tell you, and what usually happens after a positive screen.

The Vanderbilt ADHD test is not a stand-alone medical test. It is a structured rating scale that helps parents, teachers, and clinicians describe a...

Vascular Dementia Testing: Common Tests and Brain Scans

Learn how doctors test for vascular dementia using cognitive screens, MRI and CT brain scans, blood work, and follow-up assessments to separate vascular injury from Alzheimer’s disease and mixed dementia.

Vascular dementia testing is not one single test. It is a careful workup that looks for two things at the same time: clear changes...

Video EEG Monitoring: What It Is and When It Is Needed

Learn what video EEG monitoring records, when doctors use it instead of a routine EEG, how long it usually lasts, what it can diagnose, and what an epilepsy monitoring admission may lead to next.

Brief seizure-like episodes can be difficult to understand from memory alone. A person may stiffen, stare, shake, fall, seem confused, have unusual sensations, or...

Vitamin B12 Deficiency and Brain Fog: When Testing Matters

Learn when vitamin B12 deficiency is a meaningful cause of brain fog, which lab tests doctors use, how borderline results are interpreted, and when symptoms need quicker evaluation.

Brain fog can feel like slow thinking, poor concentration, word-finding trouble, forgetfulness, or a sense that your mind is not as sharp as usual....

Vitamin D and Mental Health: When Testing Is Considered

Learn when doctors consider vitamin D testing for low mood, anxiety, fatigue, and brain fog, which blood test is used, and what a low result can and cannot explain.

Vitamin D is often discussed in connection with mood, fatigue, brain fog, sleep, and overall brain health. That can make a low vitamin D...

What Does a High GAD-7 Score Mean?

Understand what a high GAD-7 score usually means, how the score ranges are interpreted, why screening is not the same as diagnosis, and what follow-up steps doctors often take next.

A high GAD-7 score means you reported frequent anxiety-related symptoms over the past two weeks. It does not diagnose an anxiety disorder by itself,...

What Does a High PHQ-9 Score Mean?

A high PHQ-9 score usually signals clinically important depressive symptoms, but the real meaning depends on severity range, item 9, functioning, diagnosis, and what happens next in assessment and treatment.

A high PHQ-9 score means you reported frequent symptoms commonly associated with depression over the past two weeks. It does not prove that you...

What Does a Low MoCA Score Mean?

A low MoCA score can suggest cognitive impairment, but it can also reflect sleep, mood, medical issues, or testing factors. Learn how doctors interpret the score and what usually comes next.

A low MoCA score means a person had difficulty with one or more thinking skills during a brief cognitive screening test. It can be...

What Does a Positive Bipolar Screen Mean?

Learn what a positive bipolar screening result can and cannot tell you, why false positives happen, how clinicians confirm bipolar disorder, and when a positive screen needs urgent follow-up.

A positive bipolar screen can feel alarming, especially if you took the test during a stressful period, after a depression screening, or as part...

What Does a Positive PTSD Screen Mean?

Understand what a positive PTSD screen actually means, why it is not a diagnosis, what follow-up usually involves, and when trauma-related symptoms need faster support.

A positive PTSD screen can feel alarming, especially if it appears on a form, patient portal, online questionnaire, school assessment, workplace health check, or...

What Happens After a Positive Mental Health Screen?

Learn what a positive mental health screen usually leads to, how follow-up evaluation works, when scores are not the same as diagnosis, and when urgent help is needed.

A positive mental health screen can feel alarming, especially if it happens during a routine checkup, school visit, workplace health assessment, online questionnaire, or...

What Happens After Abnormal Brain Scan or Cognitive Test Results?

Learn what doctors usually do after abnormal brain imaging or cognitive test results, including urgent warning signs, repeat testing, specialist referrals, and how follow-up decisions are made.

An abnormal brain scan or cognitive test result can feel alarming, but it usually does not answer the whole medical question by itself. A...

What Happens During a Cognitive Assessment?

A cognitive assessment usually includes history, daily-function questions, brief memory and thinking tasks, and follow-up planning to clarify whether cognitive changes are normal, reversible, or a sign of a larger neurological problem.

A cognitive assessment is a structured way to check how well different thinking skills are working. It may be used when someone has memory...

What Happens During a Mental Health Evaluation?

A mental health evaluation usually includes symptom review, history, observation, a mental status exam, safety assessment, and planning for diagnosis, treatment, or medical rule-outs so you know what to expect before the visit.

A mental health evaluation is a structured conversation and assessment used to understand a person’s emotional, behavioral, cognitive, and physical well-being. It may feel...

What Happens During a Neuropsychological Evaluation?

Learn what a neuropsychological evaluation includes, how testing is done, how long it takes, what cognitive domains are measured, and how results are used for diagnosis and care planning.

A neuropsychological evaluation is a detailed assessment of how thinking, memory, attention, language, emotions, behavior, and daily functioning are working together. It is often...

When to Go to the ER for Mental Health or Neurological Symptoms

Learn which mental health and neurological symptoms call for emergency care, which red flags should never be watched at home, and when urgent follow-up may be enough.

Mental health and neurological symptoms can feel confusing because they may overlap: panic can cause chest tightness and tingling, depression can slow thinking, seizures...

Y-BOCS Test for OCD: What It Measures and How It Is Used

Learn what the Y-BOCS test measures, how OCD severity is scored, what the numbers usually mean, and how clinicians use the scale in diagnosis, treatment planning, and follow-up.

The Y-BOCS is one of the best-known clinical tools for rating the severity of obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms. It does not simply ask whether someone...