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Mental status tests
Mental status testing gives the doctor a general idea of whether a person:
*Is aware of having symptoms or feels nothing is wrong
*Knows the date, time and where he or she is
*Can remember a short list of words, follow instructions and do simple calculations
Mini-mental state exam (MMSE)
The mini-mental state examination (MMSE) is one of the tests most commonly used to assess mental function. In the MMSE, a health professional asks a patient a series of questions designed to test a range of everyday mental skills.
Examples of questions include:
*Remember and repeat a few minutes later the names of three common objects (for instance, horse, flower, penny)
*State the year, season, day of the week and date
*Count backward from 100 by 7s or spell world backwards
*Name two familiar objects present in the office as the examiner points to them
*Identify the location of the examiner's office (state, city, street address, floor)
*Repeat a common phrase or saying after the examiner
*Copy a picture of two interlocking shapes
*Follow a three-part instruction, such as: take a piece of paper in your right hand, fold it in half, and place it on the floor
The maximum MMSE score is 30 points. A score of 20 - 24 suggests mild dementia, 13 - 20 suggests moderate dementia, and less than 12 indicates severe dementia. On average, the MMSE score of a person with Alzheimer's declines about 2 - 4 points each year.
About the mini-cog
Another popular mental status test is the mini-cog, which involves two tasks: (1) remembering and a few minutes later repeating the names of three common objects, and (2) drawing a face of a clock showing all 12 numbers in the right places and a time specified by the examiner.
In addition to assessing mental status, the doctor will evaluate a person's sense of well-being to detect depression or other mood disorders that can cause memory problems, loss of interest in life, and other symptoms that can overlap with dementia.
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