Dementia Test Mmse

The mmse is more than 40 years old and is widely used by doctors and clinicians studying dementia but it is not as reliable as other tests on this page for determining whether someone has dementia.

Dementia test mmse. Anything less than four points should be a concern. 25 or more points is considered intact 21 24 points is considered mild cognitive impairment 10 20 points is considered moderate cognitive impairment 0 9 points is considered severe cognitive impairment. The mini mental state exam mmse is a widely used test of cognitive function among the elderly. The clock drawing test should be a very simple test to somebody with normal cognitive abilities but if a person has memory difficulties then it may become apparent that there is a problem.

Thus making it an effective way to document an individual s response to treatment. Cerebrovascular disease or multi infarct dementia is the second leading cause of dementiiig illness among caucasians preceded only by alzheimer s disease. During the mmse a health professional asks a patient a series of questions designed to test a range of everyday mental skills. The maximum mmse score is 30 points.

The mini mental state examination mmse is a test that health care professionals give to someone who may have dementia. Mild dementia 10 20 points. Normal cognition 21 24 points. The most common tool for assessing the severity of a person s alzheimer s disease or related dementia is the mini mental state exam mmse.

The scores are generally grouped as follows. Mini mental state examination mmse for the detection of dementia in people aged over 65 the term dementia covers a group of brain problems that cause gradual deterioration of brain function thinking skills and ability to perform everyday tasks e g. While designed to be administered in a doctor s office or clinical setting the mmse is a short and effective test that can also be taken in the home. Studies have shown that it is better at ruling out dementia than telling someone that they have it.

On average the mmse score of a person with alzheimer s declines about two to four points each year. It is also used to estimate the severity and progression of cognitive impairment and to follow the course of cognitive changes in an individual over time. It is commonly used in medicine and allied health to screen for dementia. The mmse features a clear grading scale.

Dementia refers to a decline in mental ability that is severe enough to affect daily life. Moderate dementia 9 points or lower. Dementia clock test results a normal score for the test is four or five points. A score of 20 to 24 suggests mild dementia 13 to 20 suggests moderate dementia and less than 12 indicates severe dementia.

Scoring the test is very straight forward and family members or loved ones can manage the scoring process.