Mini-Mental Status Examination

FIGURE 32-2. Treatment algorithm for Alzheimer s disease. A. Cognitive treatment. B. Treatment of psychiatric or behavioral symptoms. AD, Alzheimer s disease MMSE, Mini Mental Status Examination NINCDS-ADRDA National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke/Alzheimer s Disease and Related Disorders Association. (From Faulkner JD, Bartlett J, Hicks P. Alzheimer s disease. In DiPiro JT, Talbert RL, Yee GC, et al, (eds.) Pharmacotherapy A Pathophysiologic Approach. 6th ed. New York McGraw-Hill 2005 1164, with permission.)... 

In addition, you should perform some objective measure of the patient s intellectual functioning. The most commonly used measure is the Folstein Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE). The 30 point MMSE assesses many of the intellectual functions that might be impacted by dementia orientation to surroundings, registration of new information into memory, recall of that same information, concentration, word-finding, following directions, and visuospatial tasks. A score of 25 or lower should raise concern but early dementia is not ruled out even with higher scores. 

Chronically hospitalized elderly inpatients with schizophrenia (n = 121 mean age 74 years) were rated for tardive dyskinesia and cognition (288). Subjects with tardive dyskinesia (60%) were older than those without. In subjects who were taking typical neuroleptic drugs (n = 119) there was no difference in dosage between those with and without tardive dyskinesia. Cognitive scores (Mini-Mental Status Examination) were significantly lower in the subjects with tardive dyskinesia... 

Mental status Greeting the patient daily Does the patient remember you Does the patient know where he/she is Assess alertness, speech, memory, and ability to communicate and compare with baseline. Mini Mental Status Examination may be required for insurance approval of some therapies for Alzheimer s disease. Dementias, delerium, stroke, encephalopathies, agents that cause sedation and/or confusion... 

Alzheimer s disease Cholinesterase inhibitors, antipsychotics Mini Mental Status Examination, gastrointestinal complaints, number of hallucinations, liver function tests (tacrine)... 

Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) Structured interview Maximum score is 30 23 or less is indicative of cognitive impairment. Level of consciousness also listed 5-10 minutes to administer. Global assessment of orientation, attention, recall and language, memory... 

MMSE mini-mental status examination MSB mental status examination... 

Murray KJ, Scott C, Zachariah B, et al Importance of the Mini-Mental Status Examination in the treatment of patients with brain metastases a report from the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group protocol 91-04. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 48 59-64, 2000... 

Weuve, J., K.T. Kelsey, J. Schwartz, D. Bellinger, R.O. Wright, P. Rajan, A. Spiro, III, D. Sparrow, A. Aro, and H. Hu. 2006. Delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase polymorphism and the relation between low level lead exposure and the Mini-Mental Status Examination in older men The Normative Aging Study. Occup. Environ. Med. 63(11) 746-753. 

The Mini-Mental Status Examination, developed by Folstein et al. in 1973 (22), is widely used across a variety of populations. It includes 11 questions and requires 5 to 10 minutes to administer. It is divided into two sections, the first of which requires oral responses only and covers orientation, memory, and attention. The second part assesses the ability to name, follow verbal and written commands, write sentences spontaneously, and copy a complex figure. The measure has demonstrated good reliability and validity (22). 

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