206A Retrospective Review – Correlating the Mini-Mental State Examination Result and the Diagnosis of Dementia

Abstract

Background: The Mini.Mental State Examination (MMSE) or Folstein test is a 30-point questionnaire that is used extensively in clinical and research settings to measure cognitive impairment. It is commonly used in medicine and allied health to screen for dementia. The MMSE is the most widely used cognitive test but its accuracy and clinical utility in diagnosing cognitive disorders is not fully known. (Mitchell, 2008). The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the MMSE cut-off score of.24 accurately identifies patients with dementia attending a multidisciplinary memory assessment clinic.