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[Mini-Mental State Examination in geriatrics : An evaluation of diagnostic quality]

S Beyermann1, R H Trippe, A A Bähr

  • 1Zentrum für Geriatrie und Orthopädie, Otto-Fricke-Krankenhaus Paulinenberg GmbH, Martha-von-Opel-Weg 34, 65307, Bad Schwalbach, Deutschland, Stefanie.Beyermann@otto-fricke-krankenhaus.de.

Zeitschrift Fur Gerontologie Und Geriatrie
|March 14, 2013
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) shows moderate reliability but is less sensitive than DemTect for detecting mild cognitive impairment in geriatric patients. Higher validity tests are recommended for this population.

Area of Science:

  • Geriatric Medicine
  • Neuropsychology
  • Cognitive Assessment

Background:

  • The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) has demonstrated moderate reliability and validity in previous studies.
  • Concerns exist regarding the MMSE's test quality criteria compared to other dementia screening tools.
  • This study specifically evaluates the MMSE's utility in a geriatric population.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) performance in geriatric patients.
  • To compare the MMSE with the DemTect and other cognitive assessment tools in this demographic.
  • To assess the reliability and validity of the MMSE for identifying cognitive impairment in the elderly.

Main Methods:

  • 154 geriatric patients were assessed using the MMSE and DemTect.
  • Participants included 71 individuals without cognitive impairment and 83 with cognitive impairments (excluding delirium).
  • Additional assessments included the Clock-Drawing-Test (CDT), Reisberg Scale, Geriatric Depression-Scale (GDS), and Confusion Assessment Method (CAM).

Main Results:

  • MMSE and DemTect exhibited similar convergent and divergent validity.
  • Spearman correlation (r=0.609) indicated a moderate agreement between MMSE and DemTect, with similar dementia results in 57.1% of patients.
  • MMSE demonstrated moderate reliability (Cronbach's α=0.82) after excluding ten low-discriminatory items; item difficulty was moderate overall.

Conclusions:

  • The MMSE and DemTect are not interchangeable for cognitive assessment.
  • MMSE tends to underestimate the average cognitive impairment compared to DemTect.
  • MMSE is not recommended for identifying mild cognitive impairment; tests with higher reliability and validity are preferred for this purpose.

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