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Information about the test

The name of the test is The Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). Lenore

Kurlowicz and Meredith Wallace are the authors of the test. The test is published by Meredith

Wallace in January, 1999.

The test is available commercially. There is an alternative form available for free. The

alternative forms take several minutes to administer.

Comprehensive users manual is available. The test has been revised recently. Older

adults represented the standardization group. The test can be available from its providers and

also online.

The instrument has been subjected to peer review. Amount and complexity of the

items were included in the assessment. The instrument does not assess the construct of

interest directly. There are no alternative methods of assessment that assess the construct of

interest in more direct ways.

The use of the instrument does not require an unacceptable degree of inference

between the construct it assess and the pscyholegal issue of relevance. Instrument does not

include any measures of response style.

Low skills, even if present, do not mean that the test is passed. The length is

appropriate it lasts few minutes and allows identify all the necessary issues.

Literacy is important to complete the test. The test is administered at the native

language of the examinee. The vocabulary levels of the tests directions might be or not be

appropriate for the examinee. The test items are presented in questions. The test items are

responded to orally.

Some adaptations can be made in order to meet needs of the patients in each case

the response modes and the questions depend upon condition of health of the examinee.

THE MINI MENTAL STATUS EXAMINATION 2

The test is free of sex and ethnic biases and its materials are not necessarily interesting

to the examinee. The test is suitable for individual administration.

The manual provides a clear statement of the purposes and applications for which the

test is intended and the qualifications needed to administer the test and interpret it properly.

The test, manual, record forms, and accompanying materials guide users toward

sound and correct interpretation of the test results. The statements in the manual that express

relationships presented in quantitative terms, so that the reader can tell how much precision

or confidence to attach to them.

The directions for administration are complete and clear as well as the scoring

procedures The theoretical construct of the test should be measuring. The test items

correspond to the theoretical description of the construct.

The test is not always reliable since people with low level of literacy do not pass it.

The reliability estimates sufficiently high. Relative stability of the trait, the method of

estimating reliability and the test format define reliability of the test.

The test is completely valid for the stated purposes. Measuring and assessment were

used to validate the test. The test will produce accurate measurements within the context and

purpose for which it would like to be used.

The scales are not described clearly or carefully. The norms reported in an appropriate

form are percentile ranks. The population is clearly defined and described. If more than one

form is available, the tables available show equivalent scores on the different forms. The

manual does not discuss the possible value of local norms and does not provide any help in

preparing local norms.

The population to be tested is similar to the population the test is standardized on. The

sample size standardization is adequate. Specialized subgroup norms have not been

THE MINI MENTAL STATUS EXAMINATION 3

developed. The instructions permit adequate standardized administration (In Depth Review of

MMSE; Kurlowicz, Wallace, 1999).

THE MINI MENTAL STATUS EXAMINATION 4

References

In Depth Review of MMSE. Retrieved from

http://strokengine.ca/assess/module_mmse_indepth-en.html#section4

Kurlowicz, L., Wallace, M. (1999). The Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). Meredith

Wallace, The Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing.