Other socioeconomic factors can affect scores as well. Lower levels of education can reduce test scores, so someone with limited education may score a “false positive” for cognitive impairment, according to Ridha and Rossor, while a higher education level may mask symptoms of impairment. “The subject must possess the abilities to hear, talk, and see these abilities are required to complete the exam,” note Monroe and Carter. Also, sensory issues can distort results. Typical interpretation of the score is:īecause it relies on reading and writing skills, the MMSE can produce false positives for cognitive impairment among patients with limited literacy. The second part tests ability to name, follow verbal and written commands, write a sentence spontaneously, and copy a complex polygon the maximum score is 9,” according to Folstein. “The first part requires vocal responses only and covers orientation, memory, and attention the maximum score is 21.

It can help identify and estimate the severity of cognitive impairment and serve as a marker for comparisons over time.Īvailable in multiple languages, the MMSE is a 30‐question assessment that tests orientation to time and place, repetition, verbal recall, attention and calculation, language and visual construction. It is a “brief, clinical, quantitative measure of cognitive status in adults” that can be completed in about 10 minutes, explain Monroe and Carter. The Folstein Mini-Mental Status Exam (MMSE) is “the most commonly used cognitive screening tool worldwide and remains the most thoroughly studied instrument to date,” according to Roqué-Figuls et al. This is why other tools for assessment of cognitive functioning are valuable. Yet it provides only a very limited picture of cognitive functioning. The BIMS is used for cognitive screening in nursing homes and is a component of the MDS.

Moca memory test scoring of 17