Evidence-Based Supplement & Herb Guides

Computerized Cognitive Testing: What It Measures and How Accurate It Is

Learn what computerized cognitive testing measures, how accurate digital brain tests really are, and when results should lead to follow-up care or full neuropsychological evaluation.

Computerized cognitive testing uses a computer, tablet, or phone-based platform to measure thinking skills such as memory, attention, processing speed, reaction time, language, and...

Concussion Testing: Common Tests Used to Assess Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Learn what concussion testing really includes, from symptom checks and neurologic exams to cognitive tests, balance testing, and when CT or MRI is needed.

A concussion is usually diagnosed from the story of the injury, the symptoms that follow, and a focused neurological exam—not from a single definitive...

Conners Rating Scales: What They Measure in ADHD Testing

Learn what Conners Rating Scales measure in ADHD testing, how parents and teachers use them, what high scores mean, and why they are not a stand-alone diagnosis.

ADHD testing often includes questionnaires because attention, impulsivity, emotional control, and daily functioning can look different across home, school, work, and social settings. The...

CSF Testing for Brain and Cognitive Disorders: What It Can Show

Learn what CSF testing can show in brain and cognitive disorders, including Alzheimer’s biomarkers, infection, inflammation, prion disease, lumbar puncture risks, and how results are interpreted.

Cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF, is the clear fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. Because it is in close contact with the central...

C-SSRS Suicide Risk Assessment: What It Is and What to Expect

Learn what the C-SSRS suicide risk assessment measures, what questions it asks, how clinicians interpret answers, and what usually happens after a positive screen.

The C-SSRS is a structured way to ask about suicidal thoughts and behaviors. It is used in hospitals, clinics, schools, crisis services, research settings,...

DAST Screening Test: What It Measures and What Results Mean

Learn what the DAST screening test measures, how DAST-10 scoring works, what different score ranges may mean, and what usually happens after a positive drug use screen.

A DAST screening test is a short questionnaire used to look for signs that drug use may be causing harm, loss of control, health...

Delirium Screening: How Doctors Check for Sudden Confusion

Learn how delirium screening works, which bedside tools doctors use for sudden confusion, how screening differs from diagnosis, and what happens after a positive delirium screen.

Sudden confusion is different from long-standing forgetfulness. When a person becomes unusually disoriented, drowsy, agitated, suspicious, slow to respond, or unable to stay focused...

Dementia Screening: What Tests Doctors Use First

Learn which dementia screening tests doctors use first, including the Mini-Cog, MoCA, MMSE, and SLUMS, plus what abnormal results usually mean next.

When memory, thinking, language, judgment, or daily functioning changes, doctors usually begin with a focused clinical evaluation rather than a single “dementia test.” The...

Depression Screening: How Doctors Screen for Depression and Confirm a Diagnosis

Learn how doctors screen for depression, which questionnaires they use, what a positive screen means, and how clinicians confirm or rule out a depression diagnosis.

Depression screening is a structured way to notice symptoms that might otherwise stay hidden during a busy medical visit. It is often done in...

Depression vs Dementia: How Doctors Tell the Difference

Learn how doctors tell depression from dementia by comparing symptom patterns, timelines, cognitive testing, mood evaluation, and medical workups when both conditions can overlap.

Memory problems, poor concentration, slowed thinking, and withdrawal can come from depression, dementia, or both at the same time. That overlap can be frightening,...

Digital Biomarkers for Brain Health: Wearables, Apps, and Passive Monitoring

Learn what digital biomarkers for brain health really are, how wearables and passive monitoring work, what they can measure, and where the biggest clinical limits remain.

Wearables, smartphones, and health apps can now collect large amounts of information about sleep, movement, heart rate, speech, typing, activity patterns, and daily routines....

Dissociation Screening: How It Fits Into Trauma and PTSD Assessment

Learn what dissociation screening measures, how it differs from PTSD screening, which tools clinicians use, and how dissociative symptoms influence trauma assessment and next steps.

Dissociation can be one of the more confusing parts of a trauma or PTSD evaluation. A person may describe feeling unreal, watching events from...

Drug Use Screening: How Doctors Assess Substance Use Problems

Learn how doctors screen for drug use problems, which questionnaires and toxicology tests they use, how positive screens are interpreted, and when urgent evaluation is needed.

Drug use screening is a structured way for healthcare professionals to ask about substance use, identify possible risks, and decide whether a person needs...

Dyslexia Testing: How Children and Adults Are Assessed

Learn how dyslexia testing works for children and adults, including what gets assessed, who performs the evaluation, and what the results usually mean.

Dyslexia testing is a structured evaluation of reading, spelling, language, learning history, and related cognitive skills. It is used when a child, teen, or...

Eating Disorder Screening: How Doctors Test for Eating Disorders

Learn how doctors screen for eating disorders, which questionnaires and medical checks they use, how diagnosis is confirmed, and what happens after a positive screen.

Eating disorder screening is a way for clinicians to notice harmful eating patterns, body image distress, binge eating, purging, excessive exercise, or food avoidance...

Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS): What It Screens For and What Scores Mean

Learn what the EPDS screens for, how Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale scores are usually interpreted, when results need faster follow-up, and why the tool is a screen, not a diagnosis.

The weeks and months around childbirth can bring major emotional, physical, hormonal, and practical changes. Some distress is expected, but persistent sadness, anxiety, guilt,...

EEG Test: What It Measures and When It Is Ordered

Learn what an EEG test measures, when doctors order routine, sleep-deprived, ambulatory, or continuous EEG, and what the results can and cannot show.

An EEG is a noninvasive test that records patterns of electrical activity from the brain. It is most often used when a clinician needs...

EMG and Nerve Conduction Studies: What They Measure and When They Are Ordered

Learn what EMG and nerve conduction studies measure, how they differ, when doctors order them, what the test feels like, and what the results can and cannot show.

EMG and nerve conduction studies are tests of the peripheral nerves, nerve roots, neuromuscular junction, and muscles. They are often ordered when symptoms such...

Epworth Sleepiness Scale: What It Measures and When Doctors Use It

Learn what the Epworth Sleepiness Scale measures, how ESS scoring works, when doctors use it, and what a high score may mean in sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and daytime sleepiness workups.

Feeling sleepy during the day is not the same as feeling tired, burned out, or mentally drained. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale is a short...

Executive Function Testing: What It Measures and When It Is Used

Learn what executive function testing measures, which tests are commonly used, when clinicians order them, and what the results can and cannot tell you.

Executive function is the brain’s ability to organize behavior around goals. It helps you start tasks, stay focused, shift plans, manage impulses, remember what...