MMST is the abbreviation for “Mini Mental Status Test”. This is a simple dementia test that is used very often. It consists of a questionnaire, with the help of which the test person’s cognitive abilities such as orientation and memory can be assessed. Read all important information about the procedure and evaluation of the MMST!
Dementia screening with MMST
The MMST (Mini Mental Status Text) serves to identify the cognitive abilities of older people. He is a very commonly used dementia test.
The Mini Mental Status Test consists of a simple questionnaire. Brain services such as orientation, memory, attention, arithmetic and language are examined on the basis of the various tasks.
Some tasks in MMST
To the ability to orientation For example, the MMST includes the following questions:
- In which year do we live?
- Which season is now?
- What is today’s date?
- In which place are we?
- Where are we (in which practice / nursing home)?
- On which floor?
The retention is tested in the MMST, for example, by the patient having to repeat three different terms, which the examiner first slowly calls (such as lemon, key, ball). There are points for every correct term. After a few other tasks, the examiner asks the patient whether he can remember the above three terms.
Attention and calculation The MMST checks for the following task: “Count backwards at 100 starting in steps of seven.” After five subtractions (93, 86, 79, 72, 65), it stops, and the examiner counts the correct answers.
In another task, the patient is shown a wristwatch asking what that is. The whole thing is then repeated with a pencil.
The Mini Mental Status Test also checks to see if the patient can repeat a particular phrase (for example, “no ifs and buts”), with only one attempt.
Another task in MMST involves a three-part command that the patient should follow: “Pick up a leaf, fold it in the middle and place it on the floor.” There is one point for each action taken correctly.
In further tasks, the patient should write down any complete sentence (at his own choice) (with subject and verb) and accurately mark off two intersecting pentagons.
MMST: Evaluation
The MMST takes about ten minutes. At the end, the examiner calculates all the points the patient has achieved in the various tasks (maximum: 30 points). In Alzheimer’s, by far the most common form of dementia, the result is assessed as follows:
- 20 – 26 points: mild Alzheimer’s dementia
- 10 – 19 points: moderate Alzheimer’s dementia
- <10 points: severe Alzheimer's dementia
Weaknesses of the MMST
Because MMST is so easy and quick to perform, it is widely used in dementia diagnostics. He also has shortcomings. Thus, the MMST is not very sensitive to low cognitive deficits, which means that it is difficult to detect mild cognitive impairments.
In addition, the MMST easily leads to false-negative results in people with a high level of education (that is, dementia is not recognized). Conversely, patients with a low level of education can quickly get a false positive result.
Another weakness of the MMSE is that the different cognitive abilities can not be differentiated. It is therefore often combined with other test procedures.