Norms for the mini-mental state examination: adjustment of the cut-off point in population-based studies (evidences from the Bambuí health aging study).
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the prevalence of cognitive impairment in an elderly population-based cohort, using several Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) cut-off points recommended by Brazilian authors and to examine the percentile distribution of MMSE scores in the study population.


METHODS
A total of 1558 subjects aged>60 years (89.4% of the total), living in the city of Bambuí, MG, completed the MMSE and were included in the present study.


RESULTS
The estimated prevalences of cognitive impairment varied from 13.2% to 27.0% depending on the cut-off point and agreement varied widely between them (kappa range: 0.38 to 0.88). Cut-off point 13/14 corresponded to the 5th percentile and 21/22 corresponded to the lower quartile of the MMSE score distribution.


CONCLUSIONS
In the absence of comparable cut-off points, percentile distributions are more adequate for population-based studies of elderly with low schooling level.
Castro-Costa
Erico
E
Public Health and Ageing Research Group, Medical School, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte MG, Brazil. castro-costa@cpqrr.fiocruz.br
Fuzikawa
Cíntia
C
Uchoa
Elizabeth
E
Firmo
Josélia Oliveira Araújo
JO
Lima-Costa
Maria Fernanda
MF
D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D010054:Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale / Q000592:standards*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012494:Sampling Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires