Psychology Commons^™

Subtle Cognitive Impairment In Elders With Mini-Mental State Examination Scores Within The ‘Normal’ Range, Tim Friedman, G Yelland, S Robinson

Dr Tim Friedman

The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) is commonly used as a screening test for dementia, yet MMSE scores above the cut-off for dementia (24–30) are widely thought to have limited utility, particularly in older persons. The study investigates whether scores within this range can be indicative of pre-symptomatic levels of cognitive impairment. Ninety-six community-dwelling older persons aged 62–89 years (mean = 75.2 years), who had obtained MMSE scores between 25 and 30, were tested on the computer-based Subtle Cognitive Impairment Test (SCIT). Compared with individuals who obtained a perfect score of 30 on the MMSE, individuals with scores of 28–29 made …