title: Standardized mini-mental state examination scores and verbal memory performance at a memory center: implications for cognitive screening.
abstract: Memory decline is often among the first signs heralding the emergence of mild cognitive impairment or dementia regardless of etiology. Despite its limited inclusion of memory screening, the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) continues to be the most ubiquitous, first-line screening tool for dementia and cognitive decline. In response to well documented problems with the sensitivity of this instrument and the growing importance of cognitive screening, we assessed the utility of the MMSE as a screening tool among older adults presenting for evaluation at a memory clinic. The Standardized MMSE and a standardized verbal memory test - the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised (HVLT-R) - were administered to 304 consecutive referrals at a university-based outpatient memory clinic. Among patients scoring above 25 on the MMSE (n = 169), over half exhibited at least moderate memory impairment (HVLT-R delayed recall z ≤ -2.0) and more than 25% showed severe impairment (delayed recall z ≤ -3.0). Perhaps even more striking was that among those who achieved perfect (30/30) or near perfect (29/30) scores on the MMSE (n = 70), 43% displayed moderate to severe memory impairment. Although newer screening measures have shown improved sensitivity, more in-depth memory testing appears to be a vital component of successful screening and early detection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA mlacy@yoda.bsd.uchicago.edu.
authors.forename: Maureen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lacy
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Roosevelt University, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kaemmerer
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Roosevelt University, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Sheena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Czipri
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000592:standards; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000592:standards*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012015:Reference Standards; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
keywords: HVLT-R; MMSE; cognitive screening; dementia; mild cognitive impairment