Validation of a 26-point telephone version of the Mini-Mental State Examination.
The objective of this study was to assess the convergent validity of a 26-point Telephone Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in a longitudinal cohort of 46 Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Paired in-person and telephone MMSE observations were collected within 35 days of each other. The setting was the Stanford/VA Alzheimer's Center in Palo Alto, California, and patients' residences. The 30-point Folstein MMSE was administered in-person, and a 26-point telephone version of the MMSE, adapted from the Adult Lifestyles and Function Interview (ALFI)-MMSE. Total scores for the in-person and telephone MMSE versions correlated strongly (Pearson's r =.88, P <.001). Hearing impairment and education level did not significantly affect telephone-based performance. The Telephone MMSE can be used to validly estimate in-person MMSE scores of patients with AD. Use of this practical measure can enhance reassessment if returning to the clinic is difficult or if a change in the patient's medical condition merits a check of mental status by telephone.
Newkirk
Lori A
LA
Stanford/VA Alzheimer's Center, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System (116F-PAD), 3801 Miranda Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA. lnewkirk@stanford.edu
Kim
Janise M
JM
Thompson
Jean M
JM
Tinklenberg
Jared R
JR
Yesavage
Jerome A
JA
Taylor
Joy L
JL
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013689:Telephone