Minimal State Examination (MMSE) was developed by Folstein et al. and is a brief measurement of overall cognitive function with time consumption of approximately 5-10 minutes. It consists of 19 items and mainly evaluates six areas of cognitive function: time and location orientation, attention and calculation, short-term memory, object naming, language ability, and graphic description. MMSE has a maximum score of 30, with lower scores indicating more severe cognitive impairment. Illiteracy<17 points, primary school<20 points, and high school or above<24 points are classified as cognitive impairment.
MMSE has the advantages of good reliability, parallel validity with WAIS, simple operation, short time consumption, low requirements for evaluators’ professional skills, and low requirements for patient education. It has become an effective screening tool for cognitive function in dementia patients. It has become an effective screening tool for dementia patients. However, it lacks sensitivity to the field and severity of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia and has a ceiling effect, and is only suitable for preliminary screening in communities and grassroots medical institutions.
Author(s) Details:
Hou Yongmei,
Department of Psychology, School of Humanities and Management, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, Guangdong Province, China.