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Journal ArticleDOI

“Mini-mental state”: A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician

TL;DR: A simplified, scored form of the cognitive mental status examination, the “Mini-Mental State” (MMS) which includes eleven questions, requires only 5-10 min to administer, and is therefore practical to use serially and routinely.
About: This article is published in Journal of Psychiatric Research.The article was published on 1975-11-01. It has received 76181 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Cognitive decline & Cognitive Intervention.
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TL;DR: These data indicate that N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonists produce a broad range of symptoms, behaviors, and cognitive deficits that resemble aspects of endogenous psychoses, particularly schizophrenia and dissociative states.
Abstract: Background: To characterize further behavioral, cognitive, neuroendocrine, and physiological effects of subanesthetic doses of ketamine hydrochloride in healthy human subjects. Ketamine, a phencyclidine hydrochloride derivative, is a dissociative anesthetic and a noncompetitive antagonist of the N -methyl-D-aspartate subtype of excitatory amino acid receptor. Methods: Nineteen healthy subjects recruited by advertisements from the community participated in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Subjects completed three test days involving the 40-minute intravenous administration of placebo, ketamine hydrochloride (0.1 mg/kg), or ketamine hydrochloride (0.5 mg/kg). Behaviors associated with the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia were assessed by using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. Changes in perception and behaviors associated with dissociative states were assessed by the Perceptual Aberration Subscale of the Wisconsin Psychosis Proneness Scale and the Clinician-Administered Dissociative States Scale. Cognitive function was assessed by using the (1) Mini-Mental State Examination; (2) tests sensitive to frontal cortical dysfunction, including a continuous performance vigilance task, a verbal fluency task, and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test; and (3) tests of immediate and delayed recall. Plasma levels of cortisol, prolactin, homovanillic acid, and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenethyleneglycol were measured. Results: Ketamine (1) produced behaviors similar to the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia; (2) elicited alterations in perception; (3) impaired performance on tests of vigilance, verbal fluency, and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test; (4) evoked symptoms similar to dissociative states; and (5) preferentially disrupted delayed word recall, sparing immediate recall and postdistraction recall. Ketamine had no significant effect on the Mini-Mental State Examination at the doses studied. Ketamine also had no effect on plasma 3-methoxy-4hydroxyphenethyleneglycol levels, although it blunted a test day decline in plasma homovanillic acid levels at the higher dose. It also dose dependently increased plasma cortisol and prolactin levels. Ketamine produced small dose-dependent increases in blood pressure. Conclusions: These data indicate that N -methyl-Daspartate antagonists produce a broad range of symptoms, behaviors, and cognitive deficits that resemble aspects of endogenous psychoses, particularly schizophrenia and dissociative states.

3,166 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Dementia developed in 111 subjects, including 83 given a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, over a median follow-up period of eight years, and plasma levels of folate and vitamins B12 and B6 increased.
Abstract: Background In cross-sectional studies, elevated plasma homocysteine levels have been associated with poor cognition and dementia. Studies of newly diagnosed dementia are required in order to establish whether the elevated homocysteine levels precede the onset of dementia or result from dementia-related nutritional and vitamin deficiencies. Methods A total of 1092 subjects without dementia (667 women and 425 men; mean age, 76 years) from the Framingham Study constituted our study sample. We examined the relation of the plasma total homocysteine level measured at base line and that measured eight years earlier to the risk of newly diagnosed dementia on follow-up. We used multivariable proportional-hazards regression to adjust for age, sex, apolipoprotein E genotype, vascular risk factors other than homocysteine, and plasma levels of folate and vitamins B12 and B6. Results Over a median follow-up period of eight years, dementia developed in 111 subjects, including 83 given a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease....

3,090 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a longitudinal study of 128 patients with Alzheimer's disease was conducted, where the authors used the participant's age at baseline assessment and the parent's age to calculate the estimated years from expected symptom onset (age of the participant minus parent's ages at symptom onset).
Abstract: A B S T R AC T BACKGROUND The order and magnitude of pathologic processes in Alzheimer’s disease are not well understood, partly because the disease develops over many years. Autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease has a predictable age at onset and provides an opportunity to determine the sequence and magnitude of pathologic changes that culminate in symptomatic disease. METHODS In this prospective, longitudinal study, we analyzed data from 128 participants who underwent baseline clinical and cognitive assessments, brain imaging, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood tests. We used the participant’s age at baseline assessment and the parent’s age at the onset of symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease to calculate the estimated years from expected symptom onset (age of the participant minus parent’s age at symptom onset). We conducted cross-sectional analyses of baseline data in relation to estimated years from expected symptom onset in order to determine the relative order and magnitude of pathophysiological changes. RESULTS Concentrations of amyloid-beta (Aβ)42 in the CSF appeared to decline 25 years before expected symptom onset. Aβ deposition, as measured by positron-emission tomography with the use of Pittsburgh compound B, was detected 15 years before expected symptom onset. Increased concentrations of tau protein in the CSF and an increase in brain atrophy were detected 15 years before expected symptom onset. Cerebral hypometabolism and impaired episodic memory were observed 10 years before expected symptom onset. Global cognitive impairment, as measured by the Mini–Mental State Examination and the Clinical Dementia Rating scale, was detected 5 years before expected symptom onset, and patients met diagnostic criteria for dementia at an average of 3 years after expected symptom onset. CONCLUSIONS We found that autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease was associated with a series of pathophysiological changes over decades in CSF biochemical markers of Alzheimer’s disease, brain amyloid deposition, and brain metabolism as well as progressive cognitive impairment. Our results require confirmation with the use of longitudinal data and may not apply to patients with sporadic Alzheimer’s disease. (Funded by the National Institute on Aging and others; DIAN ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00869817.)

2,907 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The level of technology use in the context of aging in place is influenced by six major themes: challenges in the domain of independent living; behavioral options; personal thoughts on technology use; influence of the social network; Influence of organizations, and the role of the physical environment.
Abstract: Background: Most older adults prefer to age in place, and supporting older adults to remain in their own homes and communities is also favored by policy makers. Technology can play a role in staying independent, active and healthy. However, the use of technology varies considerably among older adults. Previous research indicates that current models of technology acceptance are missing essential predictors specific to community-dwelling older adults. Furthermore, in situ research within the specific context of aging in place is scarce, while this type of research is needed to better understand how and why community-dwelling older adults are using technology. Objective: To explore which factors influence the level of use of various types of technology by older adults who are aging in place and to describe these factors in a comprehensive model. Methods: A qualitative explorative field study was set up, involving home visits to 53 community-dwelling older adults, aged 68-95, living in the Netherlands. Purposive sampling was used to include participants with different health statuses, living arrangements, and levels of technology experience. During each home visit: (1) background information on the participants' chronic conditions, major life events, frailty, cognitive functioning, subjective health, ownership and use of technology was gathered, and (2) a semistructured interview was conducted regarding reasons for the level of use of technology. The study was designed to include various types of technology that could support activities of daily living, personal health or safety, mobility, communication, physical activity, personal development, and leisure activities. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze interview transcripts. Results: The level of technology use in the context of aging in place is influenced by six major themes: challenges in the domain of independent living; behavioral options; personal thoughts on technology use; influence of the social network; influence of organizations, and the role of the physical environment. Conclusion: Older adults' perceptions and use of technology are embedded in their personal, social, and physical context. Awareness of these psychological and contextual factors is needed in order to facilitate aging in place through the use of technology. A conceptual model covering these factors is presented.

2,906 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Overall, patients with dementia who lived at special care units (SCUs) showed a significantly more challenging behavior, more agitation/aggression, more depression and anxiety, more cases of global cognitive impairment and a better psychosocial functioning.
Abstract: Background: Special care facilities for patients with dementia gain increasing attention. However, an overview of studies examining the differences between care f

2,872 citations

References
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Book
01 Jan 1965

84 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Three parallel forms of the clinical tests of the sensorium were devised, tried out and modified on two groups of 24 subjects and correlated moderately well when repeated.
Abstract: Three parallel forms of the clinical tests of the sensorium were devised, tried out and modified on two groups of 24 subjects. The final versions were further assessed by using each form in turn with 108 psychiatric patients. The three forms of tests gave scores with very similar means and standard deviations. They correlated moderately well when repeated.

57 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The present paper has attempted to attack the problem of differential “memory function” by examining the discriminating power of certain test results as between “functional”, “doubtful” and “organic” groups of elderly patients, showing that the best discrimination between the groups is achieved by a simple perceptual task.
Abstract: 1. The aim of the research is to examine the relationship of certain aspects of mental functioning to the psychiatric illnesses of old age. The present paper has attempted to attack the problem of differential “memory function” by examining the discriminating power of certain test results as between “functional”, “doubtful” and “organic” groups of elderly patients. 2. The design of the present study shows that spuriously positive results may arise from inadequate control over factors contributing to the selection of the criterion groups. 3. The investigation fails to confirm, for the patients tested, the diagnostic usefulness of certain tests in common use. 4. The results fail to confirm the predictions of “Ribot's Law” as applied to memory in these elderly patients. 5. The study shows significant differences between the means of the results of the psychiatric groups on some tasks which appear to involve “memory function”. These differences cannot be accounted for merely in terms of group differences in general intelligence. The nature of the possible underlying “memory function” remains to be further examined. 6. The investigation so far shows that the best discrimination between the groups is achieved by a simple perceptual task (Bender Gestalt). 7. The study fails to show differences between groups on any of the tests which are sufficiently great to enable these tests to be immediately employed as useful diagnostic instruments.

55 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is shown that tests for senility should be short, especially those with oral questions, because of straying attention, impaired comprehension, and short retention, andPerseveration is greatly increased in senescence; it can be brought out merely by having a succession of short, varied items.
Abstract: A tentative battery of 25 short tests for the measurement of senescence is described ( cf. Table I). The scale is the result of the application of nearly 80 tests to senile patients in three London hospitals. It was administered in full to 38 patients in all, and the present findings refer to a group of 20 less seriously demented ones, with an age range of 68 to 83. The tests are classified into three groups according to the degree of difficulty experienced by the seniles (Table II). The divisions were made on the basis of a number of criteria which emerged during the working up of the results, and are only pointers to the kind of functions involved. Briefly, the most difficult tests were those in which subjects were required to break away from old mental habits and adapt to unfamiliar situations, tests of recent memory (logical), of judgment, planning, and reasoning, or embodying difficult or lengthy instructions. Less difficulty was found with such tests as rote memory, fluency of associations, simple arithmetic, and vocabulary. Performance seemed to be least affected on tests of visual recognition, old mental habits, and simple motor tasks. It is shown that tests for senility should be short, especially those with oral questions, because of straying attention, impaired comprehension, and short retention. Perseveration is greatly increased in senescence; it can be brought out merely by having a succession of short, varied items. There is a loss of steadiness and speed on the motor side. The disturbing effect of tests with a time element on the slower acting senile is noted. The present mental status of the patients is estimated on eleven tests which are scored on the (outmoded) mental age method (Table I): the average of these is between M.A. 10 and 11. This figure is compared with previous reports on the decline of intelligence. An estimate of the former mental status of each patient is made by means of efficiency quotients on part of the “Bellevue” scale. These relate each score to the average level for the peak age-group of 20 to 24 years (Table III). The use of the vocabulary score as an index of former level is discussed. A comparison of score variation within individuals with variation between individuals shows a ratio of the former to the latter of approximately 85 per cent. Variability of scores within individuals increases with age inside the patient group, also with lower intelligence. A shortened version of the scale, which takes about 40 minutes, is indicated (Table I).

19 citations