Improving screening for dementia in the elderly using, Mini-Mental State Examination subscores, Benton's Visual Retention Test, and Isaacs' Set Test.
The Mini-Mental State Examination score is often used as a screening test for dementia. We studied its properties for a population of French community residents, using a sample of 2,792 randomly selected subjects in Gironde, France. When the traditional cutoff point 23-24 was used, we observed a sensitivity of 1.0 and a specificity of 0.77. We sought to increase the specificity of the test, while keeping sensitivity at 1.0, with the use of logistic regression analysis. We found (1) a specificity of 0.81 when "recall three objects" and "orientation to time" were added to the Mini-Mental State Examination score; (2) a specificity of 0.90 when Benton's Visual Retention Tests and Isaacs' Set Test of Verbal Fluency were added to the Mini-Mental State Examination score and subscores; and (3) no improvement in specificity when age and educational level were included in the analyses.
Commenges
D
D
INSERM Unité 330, Université de Bordeaux II, France.
Gagnon
M
M
Letenneur
L
L
Dartigues
J F
JF
Barberger-Gateau
P
P
Salamon
R
R
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D004522:Educational Status; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D007807:Language Tests; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000592:standards*; D008568:Memory; D008609:Mental Status Schedule / Q000592:standards*; D011594:Psychometrics; D012372:ROC Curve; D012153:Retention, Psychology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity