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In a September 29, 2026 article, geriatrician Nathaniel Chin argued that repeat cognitive testing can help clinicians compare a person’s abilities over time, alongside comparisons with age-based norms. He said results need context, including health, mood and test familiarity, and do not diagnose a condition on their own.
Geriatrician Dr. Nathaniel Chin says repeat cognitive tests can give clinicians a clearer view of whether a person’s thinking has changed than a single score can provide. In an article published by Being Patient on September 29, 2026, he described tracking a person’s performance over time as useful when evaluating memory concerns and possible cognitive decline.
Many cognitive tests compare a person’s score with results from a normative group matched by factors such as age and, depending on the test, education or demographic background. Chin said that comparison helps clinicians judge whether a result falls within an expected range, but it cannot always show whether the score represents a change for that individual. Someone may have a meaningful decline yet remain within the typical range, while another person may score below average but be performing as they have for years.
Chin said follow-up testing can add a personal comparison to the population-based one. A stable or improved result may point clinicians toward factors such as sleep, stress, mood, illness or medication that can affect performance. A consistent decline, particularly across several evaluations and in a recognizable pattern, may raise more concern about an underlying neurodegenerative process. He emphasized that repeat results need interpretation alongside a person’s history and daily functioning.
He also said the breadth of an assessment matters. Testing memory alone may miss changes in attention, language, executive function, processing speed or visuospatial ability. Repeating tests has a limitation: people may do better because they have seen the material before. Chin said clinicians can account for this by choosing an appropriate interval and, when suitable, using alternate versions of tasks.
Why a Personal Baseline Matters
A baseline can help clinicians interpret later scores in relation to a person’s own prior performance, rather than relying only on whether a result crosses a population-based threshold. That distinction may matter for people who notice changes while still scoring within the expected range, as well as for people whose longstanding abilities differ from the average.
Chin linked earlier assessment with the possibility of identifying change before dementia becomes apparent. He noted that therapies targeting amyloid are approved for people with early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease, including mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia, and said these treatments slow decline rather than restore lost abilities. The article does not claim that testing alone establishes a diagnosis or determines treatment; Chin said assessment also considers daily function, medical conditions, mood, sleep and, when appropriate, biomarkers or brain imaging.
The practical point is that a recorded assessment may help guide future comparison. Chin acknowledged that comprehensive neuropsychological testing can involve long waits, out-of-pocket costs and uneven insurance coverage. He said a primary-care screening is not equivalent to comprehensive testing, though a documented result may still provide a useful reference.
Testing Before Dementia Is Obvious
Chin’s article describes cognitive testing as one part of evaluating memory or thinking concerns, rather than a stand-alone measure of brain health. He distinguished subjective cognitive decline, when someone notices a change despite standard scores remaining in the normal range, from mild cognitive impairment, which involves measurable changes that do not necessarily mean Alzheimer’s disease. Stress, anxiety, thyroid disease, sleep problems and normal aging can also contribute to concerns or test results.
Chin is a geriatrician and memory-care physician at UW Health and an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He also serves as medical director and Clinical Core co-leader of the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. In the article, he drew on his clinical work and his experience as a caregiver for his father, who was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s.
He said testing has a different role after dementia is established. At that stage, repeatedly measuring impairment may add less to care than identifying symptoms that interfere with daily life, the abilities a person hopes to maintain and the support needed to preserve safety and quality of life.
Limits of Comparing Test Scores
The article does not set a universal schedule for repeat testing or specify which assessment is appropriate for every person. The interval depends in part on the possibility of practice effects, since familiarity with test material can improve scores. A test result also cannot, by itself, establish why performance changed or whether the cause is Alzheimer’s disease.
Chin said interpretation should account for personal history, daily function, medical conditions, medications, mood and sleep; biomarkers or brain imaging may be appropriate in some cases. The article does not provide new clinical trial data or report a change in diagnostic guidelines. It presents Chin’s clinical perspective on how repeat testing may inform an evaluation.
When Follow-Up Testing May Help
For people concerned about changes in memory or thinking, Chin said it is reasonable to ask a clinician which cognitive abilities an assessment covers, whether the result will be recorded for comparison and when follow-up might make sense. The next step depends on the person’s situation and clinical evaluation; the article gives no single timetable for retesting.
Chin’s account points to follow-up as one way clinicians may determine whether performance is stable or changing. Any conclusion would need to be considered alongside other health information and the effect of cognitive symptoms on daily life.
Key Questions
What does repeat cognitive testing add?
It lets clinicians compare later performance with both normative scores and the person’s own earlier results. That can help show whether performance appears stable or has changed.
Does a normal score rule out cognitive decline?
No. Chin said a person with high educational or occupational attainment may experience a meaningful change and still score within the typical range. Results need to be considered alongside personal history and daily function.
Can repeat testing diagnose Alzheimer’s disease?
The article does not present cognitive testing as a diagnosis on its own. Chin said clinicians also consider a person’s history, medical conditions, medications, mood, sleep and, when appropriate, biomarkers or brain imaging.
Can someone score better on a repeat test without improving?
Yes. Chin noted that familiarity with test material can improve scores. He said the interval between evaluations matters and that assessments may use alternate versions of tasks to address practice effects.
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