Evidence-Based Supplement & Herb Guides

ACEs Screening: How Adverse Childhood Experiences Are Assessed

Learn how ACEs screening works, what adverse childhood experiences questionnaires measure, how scores are interpreted, what happens after a positive screen, and where this assessment has limits.

Adverse childhood experiences can shape health, stress responses, relationships, learning, and emotional well-being long after childhood ends. ACEs screening is one way clinicians, schools,...

ADHD Testing in Children: How the Diagnostic Process Works

Learn how ADHD testing in children really works, including what the evaluation includes, how doctors diagnose ADHD, what conditions can mimic it, and what happens next.

A child who seems constantly distracted, impulsive, restless, forgetful, or unable to finish schoolwork may be struggling for many different reasons. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is...

ADHD vs Learning Disability: How Testing Separates the Two

Learn how ADHD and learning disability testing differ, what each evaluation measures, why the symptoms overlap, and how clinicians and schools identify the right diagnosis and support.

A child who rushes through reading, forgets assignments, avoids writing, or makes repeated math errors may be struggling with ADHD, a learning disability, or...

ADOS Autism Test: What It Measures and When It Is Used

Learn what the ADOS autism test measures, how ADOS-2 modules work, when clinicians use it, and how results fit into a full autism evaluation.

The ADOS is one of the best-known tools used during an autism evaluation, but it is often misunderstood. It is not a quick quiz,...

Adult ADHD Testing: How ADHD Is Diagnosed in Adults

Learn how adult ADHD testing works, what doctors look for, which tools may be used, and how ADHD is diagnosed in adults using history, symptoms, impairment, and differential diagnosis.

ADHD can be missed until adulthood, especially when a person learned to compensate, had mainly inattentive symptoms, or was seen as “high functioning” despite...

AI in Cognitive Testing: How New Tools Are Being Used

Learn how AI is being used in cognitive testing, from digital drawing and speech analysis to remote monitoring, along with the benefits, risks, and limits that still matter.

Artificial intelligence is beginning to change how cognitive testing is delivered, scored, and interpreted. The most visible changes are not robots diagnosing dementia or...

AI in Mental Health Diagnosis: What It Can Do, What It Cannot Do, and Where It Falls Short

Learn what AI can really do in mental health diagnosis, where it helps clinicians, why it still falls short, and how to judge AI screening, chatbot, and diagnostic tools safely.

Artificial intelligence is already influencing mental health care, but not in the simple way many people imagine. It is not a digital psychiatrist that...

Alcohol Use Screening: How Doctors Test for Problem Drinking

Learn how doctors screen for problem drinking, which alcohol screening tests they use, what a positive result means, and what usually happens after alcohol use screening.

Alcohol use screening is a routine way for doctors to identify drinking patterns that may be affecting health, safety, mood, sleep, medications, relationships, work,...

Alzheimer’s Testing and Diagnosis: What the Workup Looks Like

Learn what an Alzheimer’s workup includes, from history, cognitive testing, labs, and MRI to biomarker tests such as amyloid blood tests and PET scans, and how doctors reach the diagnosis.

When memory, thinking, language, or daily decision-making changes become noticeable, the goal of an Alzheimer’s workup is not simply to “take a memory test.”...

Amyloid Blood Tests: What They Show and Who They Are For

Learn what amyloid blood tests show, who they are for, how results are interpreted, and how they compare with PET scans and spinal fluid testing.

Amyloid blood tests are changing how clinicians evaluate possible Alzheimer’s disease, but they are not simple “yes or no” memory-loss tests. They look for...

Amyloid PET Scan: How It Helps in Alzheimer’s Diagnosis

Learn what an amyloid PET scan shows, when doctors use it in Alzheimer’s diagnosis, how to interpret positive and negative results, and how it compares with blood tests, MRI, CSF, and tau PET.

Memory loss, confusion, word-finding trouble, and changes in daily function can have many causes. Alzheimer’s disease is one important possibility, but it is not...

Anxiety Screening: How Doctors Screen for Anxiety Disorders

Learn how doctors screen for anxiety disorders using tools like the GAD-2 and GAD-7, clinical questions, and follow-up evaluation to decide what symptoms may need treatment.

Anxiety screening is usually the first step in finding out whether worry, fear, panic, avoidance, or physical tension may be part of an anxiety...

Anxiety vs ADHD: How Doctors Tell the Difference

Learn how doctors tell anxiety from ADHD by comparing symptoms, triggers, timeline, testing, and overlap so the right diagnosis and treatment are easier to understand.

Trouble concentrating can feel confusing when anxiety and ADHD both seem possible. A person may feel restless, forgetful, scattered, overwhelmed, or unable to finish...

APOE Genetic Testing for Alzheimer’s Risk: What It Can and Cannot Tell You

Learn what APOE genetic testing for Alzheimer’s risk can and cannot tell you, how to interpret e2, e3, and e4 results, and when genetic counseling matters most.

APOE genetic testing can feel both useful and unsettling because it gives information about future Alzheimer’s risk, not a simple yes-or-no answer. A result...

ASQ Suicide Screening: What It Measures and When It Is Used

Learn what the ASQ suicide screening tool measures, where it is used, what a positive screen means, and how it fits into clinical suicide risk assessment and next-step safety planning.

Suicide risk can be difficult to recognize from appearance, mood, or the reason someone came to a clinic or emergency department. Some people who...

ASRS ADHD Test: What It Measures and What Results Mean

Learn what the ASRS ADHD test measures, how ASRS scoring works, what a positive screen means, and when to seek a full adult ADHD evaluation.

The ASRS is a brief questionnaire used to screen for adult ADHD symptoms. It can be a useful starting point when problems with focus,...

At-Home Cognitive Tests: What They Can and Cannot Tell You

Learn what at-home cognitive tests can and cannot tell you, how accurate home memory and thinking screens really are, and when a concerning result should lead to professional evaluation.

At-home cognitive tests can be useful when memory, focus, language, planning, or mental speed feels different than it used to. They can give you...

AUDIT vs AUDIT-C: Alcohol Screening Tests Explained

Learn the difference between AUDIT and AUDIT-C, how each alcohol screening test is scored, when doctors use one over the other, and what a positive result actually means.

Alcohol screening tests can help identify drinking patterns that may be affecting health, safety, mood, sleep, relationships, or daily functioning. AUDIT and AUDIT-C are...

Autism Screening in Toddlers: Early Signs and Common Tests

Learn the early signs of autism in toddlers, when screening happens, which tests are commonly used, and what a positive autism screen means for next steps and evaluation.

Autism can often be recognized earlier than many families expect, but the first clues are not always dramatic. A toddler may be affectionate, active,...

Autism Testing in Adults: How Adult Autism Is Diagnosed

Learn how autism testing in adults works, what a full adult autism evaluation includes, which tools clinicians use, and how doctors separate autism from overlapping conditions.

Many adults seek an autism evaluation after years of feeling different, exhausted by social demands, unusually sensitive to certain environments, or repeatedly misunderstood at...