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Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE): sensitivity in an Italian sample of patients with dementia

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Abstract

The sensitivity of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was assessed in a sample of patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type or vascular dementia. The MMSE identified the majority of pts with diffuse cognitive impairment but did not discriminate between the two types of dementia. It failed to detect mild deterioration or forms in which only some cognitive functions were impaired. The test is therefore not sufficient for distinguishing deteriorated from non deteriorated pts, although it is still useful in mass screening or for a quick assessment of deterioration in the course of clinical neurological examination.

Sommario

Sono state valutate le prestazioni al Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in un campione di soggetti affetti da demenza tipo Alzheimer o da demenza vascolare. Il MMSE individua la maggior parte dei pt. compromessi diffusamente sul piano cognitivo, senza peraltro discriminare fra i due tipi di demenza. Non vengono diagnosticati, invece, deterioramenti di lieve entità o in cui la compromissione è presente solo in alcune funzioni cognitive. Il test non è pertanto sufficiente per distinguere deteriorati da non deteriorati, benchè conservi un'utilità per indagini di massa o per una rapida valutazione del deterioramento durante l'esame neurologico clinico.

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  1. Centro di Neuropsicologia Clinica, Istituto di Clinica Neurologica, Università di Pisa, Via Roma 67, 56126, Pisa

    Mazzoni M., Ferroni L., Lombardi L., Torto E. Del, Vista M. & Moretti P.

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  1. Mazzoni M.
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  2. Ferroni L.
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  3. Lombardi L.
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  4. Torto E. Del
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Mazzoni, M., Ferroni, L., Lombardi, L. et al. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE): sensitivity in an Italian sample of patients with dementia. Ital J Neuro Sci 13, 323–329 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02223097

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02223097

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