Donald Trump is a 71-year-old man. He has now occupied the Office of President for about one year. Mr. Trump is a billionaire businessman who has successfully run his business enterprise for many years, albeit with a history of multiple bankruptcies.
He began his college education at Fordham University in NY, then after 2 years transferred to an Ivy League school, the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, one of, if not, the most prestigious School of Business in the United Sates. He often brags about this fact.
During his campaign and time in office the public has been able to see his behavior and judge his performance. As President his ratings are lower than all previous Presidents at this time (35-39% approval). Also, there have been several personal assessments of his behavior and performance by people in his inner circle. He has made many controversial statements, which are un-presidential. As a result, mental health professionals have questioned his fitness to serve. The recent portrait of Trump described in the book ‘Fire and Fury, suggests a profile not typical of a man with Trump’s educational and professional background or standing.
Excerpt from the book ‘Fire and Fury’ by Journalist, Michael Wolff:
“Trump didn’t read. He didn’t really even skim. If it was print, it might as well not exist. Some believed that for all practical purposes he was no more than semiliterate. . . . Some thought him dyslexic; certainly his comprehension was limited. Others concluded that he didn’t read because he didn’t have to, and that in fact this was one of his key attributes as a populist. He was post-literate—total television. But not only didn’t he read, he didn’t listen. He preferred to be the person talking. And he trusted his own expertise—no matter how paltry or irrelevant—more than anyone else’s. What’s more, he had an extremely short attention span, even when he thought you were worthy of attention.”
End of Excerpt
This profile, if correct, raises important questions about his health. Is this the profile of a former University of Pennsylvania graduate and high-powered business person or is this the profile of a 71-year-old man former U of Penn graduate, high-powered business person who has mild (early) cognitive impairment?
Next week Trump is scheduled for a physical examination. Based on Trump’s irregular behavior, his poor performance in office, his bizarre statements and tweets, his preoccupation with the mundane, his propensity to fits of rage, and the profile that is emerging — is it not prudent for Trump to submit to neuropsychological evaluation to rule out any concerns with his thought process, that might be affecting his judgment and his ability to govern the nation with the “biggest nuclear button” on earth?
I believe that any person above the age of 65 who performs a critical function is should submit to extreme vetting, especially if there is cause to suspect something is wrong. As a physician, I think there is probable cause in Donald Trump’s case.
These are the domains of Neuropsychological functioning.
Neuropsychological evaluation is useful for measuring many function categories, including the following:
Intellectual functioning
Academic achievement
Language processing
Visuospatial processing
Attention/concentration
Verbal learning and memory
Visual learning and memory
Executive functions
Speed of processing
Sensory-perceptual functions
Motor speed and strength
Motivation/symptom validity
Personality assessment