Can you have dementia with an MMSE score of 30?
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the possibility that a patient with a diagnosis oF probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) can still obtain a score oF 30/30 on the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE).


METHODS
Chart review. Setting. The McGill University/Jewish General Hospital Memory Clinic.


METHODS
Participants were selected From the Memory Clinic's patient database. All underwent comprehensive evaluations, including relevant blood work and a computed tomographic scan or a magnetic resonance imaging scan oF the brain to rule out other causes oF dementia.


METHODS
All patients had one or more neuropsychological evaluation. Data oF all psychometric testing, including the MMSE, were gathered From these visits. Results. Eight patients were Found to meet the criteria oF AD although achieving a score oF 30/30 on the MMSE. Four oF 8 patients achieved this score although they were taking cholinesterase inhibitors.


CONCLUSIONS
Although rare, it is possible to achieve a score oF 30/30 on the MMSE even iF a subject is suFFering From a dementing illness.
Shiroky
Jonah S
JS
Bloomfield Center For Research in Aging, Montreal, Canada.
Schipper
Hyman M
HM
Bergman
Howard
H
Chertkow
Howard
H
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006309:Hearing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011792:Quebec; D011932:Reading; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013060:Speech