Mini-Mental State Examination: standardization and validation for the elderly Slovenian population.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Gerontology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) is a widely used cognitive screening tool.
• The Slovenian adaptation, 'Kratek preizkus spoznavnih sposobnosti' (KPSS), has been in use for over two decades.
• Evaluating KPSS's diagnostic accuracy in the Slovenian population is crucial for its clinical utility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of age and education on KPSS scores in Slovenia.
• To determine the optimal cut-off score for KPSS sensitivity and specificity in dementia screening.
• To validate KPSS as a reliable screening tool for cognitive impairment in Slovenia.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 258 Slovenian volunteers (189 healthy, 69 with dementia) aged 45-96.
• Analysis of KPSS scores considering age, education level, and dementia status.
• Calculation of sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values at various cut-off points (23/24, 24/25, 25/26, 26/27).

Main Results:

• Higher KPSS scores were associated with younger age and higher education (≥10 years).
• An optimal cut-off score of 25/26 demonstrated the best balance of sensitivity (73%) and specificity (75%) for the Slovenian population.
• A cut-off of 26/27 is suggested for highly educated individuals.

Conclusions:

• The KPSS is a valuable tool for screening dementia in Slovenia.
• The recommended cut-off score of 25/26 enhances the accuracy of dementia screening in the Slovenian population.
• Adjusting cut-off scores based on education level may further improve KPSS's diagnostic performance.