Exploring racial performance disparities with the Modified Mini-Mental State Exam (3MS) in an acute brain injury...

The Modified Mini-Mental State Exam (3MS) is a brief, widely used cognitive screening tool. This study examined differences in 3MS performance between Black and White individuals undergoing acute brain injury rehabilitation.

Participants were Black (44.1%; n = 78) and White (55.9%; n = 99) individuals admitted over a 2-year period to inpatient rehabilitation for an acute neurological injury or illness at a major, urban mid-Atlantic medical center. An attending psychologist administered the 3MS during assessment at admission, and demographic and injury-related information was extracted from electronic medical records.

While there were no significant racial differences in the subsamples' gender, employment status, marital status, years of education, or days on the rehabilitation unit, Black participants were older and had a higher proportion of focal injuries or stroke. There were no significant racial differences in 3MS total scores. At the item level, Black participants scored lower on abstract reasoning, repetition, visuospatial construction, and comprehension. When adjusting for age and type of injury, significant differences remained in repetition and comprehension. The 3MS's internal consistency was adequate and comparable across races, as were item-total correlations, with the exception of White participants having a larger item-total correlation for the basic attention item.

These findings underscore a point of caution about interpreting the results of a cognitive screening measure like the 3MS without the context of an individual's neurological history and race. Black individuals might be at risk for being inappropriately screened to be cognitively impaired, and some level of racial sensitivity should be taken at the item level for repetition and comprehension constructs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).