[MMSE for survival prognostics in dementia].
OBJECTIVE
Evaluation of the predictive power of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) for survival analyses of dementia patients.


METHODS
In an 8-year follow-up study for 145 dementia outpatients the survival and relative death risks (hazard ratios) were calculated with Kaplan Meier and Cox-regression analyses.


RESULTS
Following Cox-regression the relative death risk increases by 36.2 % per severity level of dementia (mild / moderate / severe), p = 0.023. Per single MMSE point lost, the relative death risk rises by 4.1 % (p = 0.005). Kaplan Meier analysis supports the result.


CONCLUSIONS
MMSE scores may in fact be used for dementia survival prognoses in counseling family and professional caregivers of dementia patients, but also for socioeconomic management of the increasing dementia burden for society.
Hötte
Sebastian Dirk
SD
Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität Greifswald und LWL-Universitätsklinik Bochum der Ruhr-Universität Bochum.
Lankers
Daniel
D
Kissler
Sebastian
S
Freyberger
Harald-Jürgen
HJ
Schröder
Stefan Georg
SG
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012044:Regression Analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016019:Survival Analysis