The mini mental state examination (MMSE) or Folstein test is a brief 30-point questionnaire test that is used to assess cognition. It is commonly used in medicine to screen for dementia. In the time span of about 10 minutes, it samples various functions, including arithmetic, memory and orientation. It was introduced by Folstein et al in 1975, and is widely used with small modifications. Look up Cognition in Wiktionary, the free dictionary The term cognition (Latin, cogito: to think) is used in several different loosely related ways. ... Medicine is the branch of health science and the sector of public life concerned with maintaining human health or restoring it through the treatment of disease and injury. ... For other senses of this word, see dementia (disambiguation). ... Arithmetic or arithmetics (from the Greek word αριθμός = number) in common usage is a branch of (or the forerunner of) mathematics which records elementary properties of certain operations on numerals, though professional mathematicians often treat arithmetic as a synonym for number theory. ... Memory is the ability of the brain to store, retain, and subsequently recall information. ... Orientation is a function of the mind involving awareness of three dimensions: time, place and person. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ...

Various other tests are also used, such as the Hodkinson abbreviated mental test score (1972, geriatrics) and longer formal tests for deeper analysis of specific deficits. The abbreviated mental test score (AMTS) was introduced by Hodkinson in 1972 to rapidly assess elderly patients for the possibility of dementia. ... Geriatrics is the branch of medicine that focuses on health promotion and the prevention and treatment of disease and disability in later life. ...

The test

Interlocking pentagons used for the last question

A summary of the MMSE test: Image File history File links InterlockingPentagons. ...

• Orientation in time: what is the year, month, date, season, day of the week?(1 point each, total 5)
• Orientation in place: in which state, county, town/city, hospital/street, floor/number are you now? (1 point each, total 5)
• Registration: repeat these three words - e.g. car, ball, key (1 point for each, total 3)
• Arithmetic: "serial sevens" -- take 100 and subtract 7 in 5 iterations - 100, 93, 86, 79, 72, 65 (1 point for each, total 5)
• Recall/memory: repeat the three words from before (1 point each, total 3)
• Language: (total 8)
  • name these objects - e.g. key, watch (1 point for each, maximum 2).
  • repeat "NO IFS, ANDS OR BUTS" (1 point for correctly repeating)
  • follow a three-stage instruction - take this sheet of paper, fold it over once, and put it on your lap (1 point each, total 3)
  • read and obey "CLOSE YOUR EYES" (1 point for closing eyes)
  • write a sentence (1 point for a grammatically correct sentence)
• Spatial insight: copy out a drawing of two interlocking pentagons (1 point for correct drawing)

Interpretation

Any score over 24 is effectively normal. The normal value is also corrected for degree of schooling and age. Low to very low scores correlate closely with the presence of dementia, although other mental disorders can also lead to abnormal findings on MMSE testing. The presence of purely physical problems can also interfere with interpretation if not properly noted; for example, a patient may be physically unable to hear or read instructions properly, or may have a motor deficit that affects writing and drawing skills. For other senses of this word, see dementia (disambiguation). ...

References

• Folstein M, Folstein S, McHugh P. Mini-Mental State. A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. J Psych Res 1975;12:189–198. PMID 1202204.
• Hodkinson HM. Evaluation of a mental test score for assessment of mental impairment in the elderly. Age Ageing 1972;1:233-8. PMID 4669880.

External links

• PDF file of a 2-page MMSE
• FPnotebook page on interpretation