title: [Cognitive function in menopausal women evaluated with the Mini-Mental State Examination and Word-List Memory Test].
abstract: There is little research in Brazil on cognition and menopause, despite the high frequency of neuropsychiatric complaints in this phase of women's life. The authors present a cross-sectional study aimed at describing the scores by 156 menopausal women on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Word-List Memory Test (WLMT). The mean score on the MMSE was 25.86 points (SD = 2.67), similar to other studies, except for better performance by illiterate women; scores on the sub-items 'attention and calculation' and 'immediate recall' showed lower values. In the WLMT, the mean was also consistent with the literature (M = 18.83 words; SD = 3.82). The only significant associations with score were for schooling in both tests and arterial hypertension in the WLMT. The authors conclude that cognitive performance in these menopausal women is similar to that of other Brazilian samples, corroborating the wider range of scores among individuals with lower schooling. Complaints pertaining to memory in middle-aged women may be related to decreased attention.
authors.affiliation: Ministério da Saúde, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. ritaf@globo.com
authors.forename: Rita de Cássia Leite
authors.initials: Rde C
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Kátia Silveira
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bonan
authors.forename: Silvia Eliane Vasconcelos
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Zahar
authors.forename: Lizanka Paola Figueiredo
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Marinheiro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001938:Brazil; D010054:Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale / Q000592:standards; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008593:Menopause / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology