THREAD: As someone who majored cognitive psych & neurobiology & who worked for a neuropsychologist for 2 years, I am cringing at the Tweets about the news that Trump scored 30 out of 30 answers correct on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MCA) test he was administered on Friday.
Many people are concluding that this news means that Trump is "not crazy" or that Trump is smart. It means NEITHER of these things. This test is a fairly basic exam used to evaluate whether a patient is presenting with signs of dementia. 2/
If the results reported by Dr. Ronny L. Jackson are correct, then it is highly unlikely that Trump has dementia or has suffered from a stroke. The test provides no insight whatsoever into Trump's IQ or his reading level or his capacity to understand complex ideas. 3/
The test only evaluates basic cognitive functioning, including short-term memory and attention as well as the capacity to engage in simple abstraction (e.g., what is the relationship between 2 words like banana and orange?) 4/
This test also does NOT evaluate the psychiatric health of a patient. It provides no insight into whether the President suffers from a mood disorder like Bipolar Disorder or Major Depressive Disorder or a personality disorder like Narcissistic Personality Disorder. 5/
In other words, the serious concerns raised by clinical psychiatrists about the President's mental health and temperment are still valid. He routinely exhibits narcissistic tendencies, and an unrealistic view of himself and his abilities. 6/
He lacks empathy and does not respect those around him. He is impulsive and reckless and seems to not grasp the consequences of his actions (such as when he taunts a leader with nuclear weapons at his disposal). He has shown signs of paranoia and lies habitually. 7/
Dr. Jackson is not a psychiatrist so he is not trained to evaluate the psychiatric health of the President. We need to be careful to not read too much into the results of Trump's Montreal Cognitive Assessment test. 8/
In light of Trump's reckless behavior during his first year in office, it is still appropriate for the American people to demand that he undergo a full psychiatric exam, including a Structured Clinical Interview. 9/ appi.org/products/struc…
The stakes are too high to have a psychologically unfit man as our President.
