title: Mini-Mental State Examination norms in a community-dwelling sample of elderly with low schooling in Brazil.
abstract: The objective of this study was to assess Mini-Mental State Examination norms of a functionally normal sample of community-dwelling elderly. Illiterate and low-educated subjects who scored less than 5 on the Pfeffer Functional Activities Questionnaire (PFAQ) [n = 397; female = 269; mean age = 72.15 (SD = 7.24) years] had the 5th, 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles calculated according to age (65-74; 75-84 years). Overall MMSE score was 21.97 (SD = 4.48). Mean MMSE for illiterate younger individuals was 19.46 (SD = 3.47), and the quartile distribution was 14, 17, 19, and 21. MMSE of subjects with 1-8 years of schooling was 23.90 (3.87), and the distribution was 15, 22, 24, and 27. MMSE of older illiterate subjects was 18.11 (SD = 3.63), and the distribution of scores was 13, 16, 18, and 20, whereas subjects with 1-8 years of schooling scored 23.81 (SD = 4.01) and the distribution was 15, 22, 24, and 27. These MMSE normative data may help improve the detection of cognitive impairment in Brazil, mainly in the primary clinical setting.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. jlaks@centroin.com.br
authors.forename: Jerson
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Laks
authors.forename: Elienai Maria Rubim
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Baptista
authors.forename: Ana Lúcia Barros
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Contino
authors.forename: Estevão Oliveira
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: de Paula
authors.forename: Eliasz
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Engelhardt
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003704:Dementia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule / Q000592:standards*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012494:Sampling Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires