Evaluation of the mini-mental state examination among the elderly people in Konya, Turkey

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate cognitive function by using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) among the elderly people in Konya, Turkey, and to examine the acceptance, and screening efficacy of the MMSE in the family medicine practice setting.

METHODS: A descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out between 15th December 2004 and 15th February 2005, in Konya, Turkey. Two hundred elderly people were included in the study. Participants were selected from the cases who were at least 65 years of age and older. Cognitive levels were assessed with the MMSE. Two different MMSE forms for educated and uneducated individuals were applied. Socio-demographic characteristics, orientation, registry memory, attention and calculation, recall, and language status were determined. The data were evaluated with SPSS 10.0 software.

RESULTS: Participants of 65 years of age and older (36.5% women, n=73 and 63.5% men, n=127) were included in this study. The age interval of participants was 65 and 85, and the mean age was 71.02 (SD=4.569). Of the participants, 66% (n=132) were uneducated, and 34% (n=68) were educated. The mean score of MMSE was 23.33 (SD=4.799). The score of MMSE was considered as normal when the value was 24 and over. Of the participants, 57% (n=114) were evaluated as normal score and 43% (n=86) as abnormal score. The female mean MMSE score was 21.808 (SD=5.352). The male mean MMSE score was 24.204 (SD= 4.230). It was observed that cognitive impairment was higher among women than men (p=0.002). When we compared the cognitive status, there was no significant difference between uneducated and educated people (p>0.05). The cognitive function of participants with a dominant left hand was significantly lower than those with a dominant right hand (p=0.027).

CONCLUSION: Family physicians should be able to competently diagnose, evaluate, and initiate treatment in most patients with dementia. Physicians should be familiar with psychometric instruments such as the MMSE. These instruments are useful both to diagnose Alzheimer’s dementia and follow patients on therapy. The MSSE should be used by family physicians of elderly patients, as early diagnosis and treatment will enable patients to retain the greatest possible functional capacity, and may allow families to care for the patient successfully for a longer period. Consequently, early diagnosis and aggressive treatment are crucial for people with dementia.