Q: My 86 year old mother had a stroke 1.5 years ago. She has made a good recovery but, within the past 10 days, she has had significantly increased dysarthria and decreased word finding ability. In the past 4 days, she has begun to nod off frequently and appears fatigued. Her appetite has declined and she is having increased difficulty with daytime bladder control. Her physician has ordered a CT of her brain. Both her blood work and urinalysis appear normal. Can you offer any guidance about what tests might be performed to determine what is happening?
A: Your doctor may be concerned that your mother has had another stroke. A CT scan of her brain is the appropriate test. An infection can also cause similar symptoms in the elderly but your doctor has already checked her blood and urine to look for this.
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