Detecting Dementia With the Mini-Mental State Examination in Highly Educated Individuals

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Abstract
The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)1 is the most commonly administered psychometric screening assessment of cognitive functioning. The MMSE is used to screen patients for cognitive impairment, track changes in cognitive functioning over time, and often to assess the effects of therapeutic agents on cognitive function.2 Since its development, there has been a wealth of literature published on the MMSE, demonstrating it to be a relatively sensitive marker of overt dementia.3-5 Its utility decreases, however, when patients with mild cognitive decline and psychiatric conditions are assessed.6-8