Mental Status Expert: an expert system for scoring and reporting the mental status examination

For neurology clerks and residents, the mental status examination is often the most difficult part of the neurological examination. We have developed the Mental Status Expert (MSE), a structured mental status examination designed for use by neurology student clerks and neurology residents. The MSE assesses seven areas of cognitive function: orientation and concentration, language, right parietal functions, left parietal functions, occipital lobe functions, frontal lobe functions, and memory. Norms for the test have been created based on administration to 281 subjects referred to the Neurology Clinic. The MSE uses production rules and other expert system features to assist in the scoring and reporting of test results.