What Is the Cut Score for Dementia?

A common exam used to screen for dementia is the Mini-Mental State Exam. The cut score for dementia refers to the score on this exam below which a person is determined to have cognitive impairment consistent with an onset of dementia.

Dementia

• Dementia refers symptoms including cognitive decline, memory loss, impaired speech and language capability, personality changes, behavioral disturbances and hallucinations that are caused by diseases and conditions that affect the brain. According to MayoClinic.com, Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia.

MMSE

• The Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) is a common exam, consisting of 30 questions, used to determine the level of cognitive functioning in individuals who may be exhibiting signs of dementia.

Cut Score

• The highest possible score on the MMSE is 30. According to MentalHelp.net, the cut score for cognitive impairment and possible onset of dementia is 23, meaning that a score of 23 or lower indicates a possible onset of dementia.

Features

• The MMSE, which can be administered in a matter of minutes, covers orientation in time and space, memory, language skills and visuospatial skills, which are a person's ability to reproduce a simple geometric pattern. During the MMSE, a person may be asked to repeat phrases, follow simple commands and spell short words backwards.

Considerations

• According to MentalHelp.net, highly educated people may perform well on the MMSE despite an onset of dementia. A 2008 Senior Journal article claims that adjusting the cut score to 27 may help to identify dementia in highly educated individuals.