[Mini-Mental State Examination:a useful method for the evaluation of the cognitive status of patients by the clinician. Consensual French version]

Abstract

A PRACTICAL TOOL: Screening for cognitive deficiency has been considerably improved by the use of a standardized tool, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). The MMSE only takes a few minutes and furnishes quantitative data for comparison between patients and to follow the evolution of a given patient.

An important role: The MMSE is particularly useful for screening for dementia and states of mental confusion. It should be used systematically for elderly subjects, not only in the neurology setting, but also in geriatrics, psychiatrics and internal medicine.

Interpretation: The global score gives an assessment of the subject's performance level, taking into account for age, affective status and cultural situation. The MMSE cannot alone provide the diagnosis of dementia which requires a complete neurological examination.

The consensual french version: Diverse French versions have been developed with considerable differences in scoring schemes. For this reason, the Working Group on Cognitive Evaluations (GREC) has established a consensual version of the MMSE in French.