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If you have ever accompanied an older person to
the doctor you may have seen the Mini-Mental
State Exam (MMSE) administered. You may have
even experienced it yourself. Most doctors like
to use this test because it is quick (ten or
eleven minutes usually), non-invasive, and easy.
The MMSE is a screening tool that professionals
use to evaluate cognitive ability. Many people
think of it as the "Alzheimer's test," but in
reality a multitude of things including
medications and infections can cause cognitive
changes.
A low score on the Mini Mental State Exam does
not give the doctor or the clinician a
diagnosis. It is an indicator that further
investigation into the reasons for the low score
is needed. Do not ever accept a diagnosis of
Alzheimer's Disease simply because a loved one
has scored poorly on the MMSE.
Even after a diagnosis has been determined, many
doctors like to continue giving the MMSE on a
regular basis to track changes over time.
The actual test itself is copyrighted, so we
won't be posting it here. However, in general
this is how it works...
There are 30 possible correct answers. These are
divided into five general areas of memory and
cognition.
1. Orientation:
Does the person being tested have an awareness
of time and place? This is where the tester asks
the questions about the date, the season or time
of year, and the location.
2. Registration:
Can the subject find the words to name or
identify objects, and can the subject memorize a
list of three things?
3. Attention:
Is the subject able to count backwards by 7s, or
can the subject spell a word backwards (the
preferred word to spell backwards is "world")?
4. Recall:
Can the subject remember and repeat the three
items that were memorized earlier?
5. Language:
Can the subject write a sentence, follow a
simple written command, and copy a specific
design?
The MMSE score is adjusted to accommodate for
any disabilities or inabilities that might
affect the results. For instance, lack of
fluency in the language, hearing or visual
problems, learning disabilities or the inability
to read, or physical problems that impair the
ability to write or draw will all be taken into
account by an experienced tester. Scores should
also be adjusted for those who have little
formal education.
Mini Mental State scores are usually written as
the number of correct answers over the number of
possible correct answers. A perfect score
would be written as 30/30. Those with a score of
26/30 or lower should certainly be evaluated
more closely. Just remember, though, that anyone
could be having a bad day, and missing two or
three items is no cause for panic.
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