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Limitations of the Mini-Mental State Examination for screening dementia in a community with low socioeconomic status: results from the Sao Paulo Ageing & Health Study
Scazufca M, Almeida OP, Vallada HP, Tasse WA, Menezes PR.. European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience, 2008-06-16
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) is the most widely used instrument for the screening of cognitive impairment worldwide, but its ability to produce valid estimates of dementia in populations of low socioeconomic status and minimal literacy skills has not been adequately established. The authors investigated the psychometric properties of the MMSE in a community-based sample of older Brazilians. Method Cross-sectional one-phase population-based study of all residents of pre-defined areas of the city of Sao Paulo, aged 65 years or over.
Key findings
- The authors investigated the psychometric properties of the MMSE in a community-based sample of older Brazilians.
- Method Cross-sectional one-phase population-based study of all residents of pre-defined areas of the city of Sao Paulo, aged 65 years or over.
- The Brazilian version of the MMSE was compared with DSM-IV diagnosis of dementia assessed with a harmonized one-phase procedure developed by the 10/66 Dementia Research Group.
- Results Analyses were performed with 1,933 participants of the SPAH study.
Why it matters
This study examined how well the Mini-Mental State Examination screens for dementia in older Brazilians with low socioeconomic status and minimal literacy. It does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Study designcross-sectional
- Participants1,933
- Effect size78.7%; 77.8%; 91.9%
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 56/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a snapshot of people at one point in time. Scored zero for randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience: journal h-index 158 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 4 / 12 | A snapshot of people at one point in time |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2009 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 1,933 participants |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 160 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 8.4 citations a year over 19 year(s) since 2009 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 5.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 7 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 18 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Paulo Rossi Menezes: h-index 65 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Bristol: institution h-index 1,260 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 3 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 18560791) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 56 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Scazufca, M., Almeida, O. P., Vallada, H. P., Tasse, W. A., & Menezes, P. R. (2009). Limitations of the Mini-Mental State Examination for screening dementia in a community with low socioeconomic status: results from the Sao Paulo Ageing & Health Study. European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-008-0827-6
Vancouver
Scazufca M, Almeida OP, Vallada HP, Tasse WA, Menezes PR. Limitations of the Mini-Mental State Examination for screening dementia in a community with low socioeconomic status: results from the Sao Paulo Ageing & Health Study. European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience. 2009. doi:10.1007/s00406-008-0827-6. PMID: 18560791.
BibTeX
@article{scazufca2009-18560791,
author = {Scazufca, M. and Almeida, O. P. and Vallada, H. P. and Tasse, W. A. and Menezes, P. R.},
title = {{Limitations of the Mini-Mental State Examination for screening dementia in a community with low socioeconomic status: results from the Sao Paulo Ageing \& Health Study}},
journal = {European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience},
year = {2009},
doi = {10.1007/s00406-008-0827-6},
pmid = {18560791},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-008-0827-6}
}
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