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[Revalidation and standardization of the cognition mini-exam (first Spanish version of the Mini-Mental Status Examination) in the general geriatric population]
Lobo A, Saz P, Marcos G, Día JL, de la Cámara C, Ventura T, Morales Asín F, Fernando Pascual L et al.. Medicina clinica, 1999-06-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background The revalidation of the Mini Examen Cognoscitivo (MEC), first Spanish version (1978) of the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) and documentation of "population-based norms" should clarify the potential confusion induced by later versions of MMSE. Methods Context The Zaragoza Study on the prevalence of dementia and depression in a representative sample of the elderly community (N = 1,080). Instruments MEC-35 and MEC-30 points, and validated, Spanish versions of Geriatric Mental State (GMS), History and Aetiology Schedule (HAS) and Social Status Schedule (SSS). Procedure a) validation of MEC (standardized lay interviewers) against the gold standard of psychiatric diagnosis (DSM-III-R), two months later; b) "population-based norms" in the "healthy" population, and c) comparison with other MMSE versions. Results The instrument fulfills criteria of "feasibility", "content", "procedural" and "construct validity". Test-retest reliability: weighted kappa = 0.637. MEC-30 (cut-off point 23/24), sensitivity = 89.8%, specificity = 75.1% (80.8% with the cut-off at 22/23), and ROC curve, AUC = 0.920. The coefficients of individual items were satisfactory and the specificity increases in MEC-35 (83.9%). Other MMSE Spanish versions have not improved these coefficients. "Population-based norms" confirm the hypothesized influence of age and education level. MEC-30 is the version with most comparable results with the MMSE in USA. Conclusions The validity of MEC is confirmed in the elderly population, with the same cut-off points recommended in the original standardization. MEC-30 is the best version for international comparisons.
Key findings
- Results The instrument fulfills criteria of "feasibility", "content", "procedural" and "construct validity".
- MEC-30 is the version with most comparable results with the MMSE in USA.
Why it matters
This study revalidated the first Spanish version of the Mini-Mental Status Examination in a general geriatric population, finding a sensitivity of 89.8% and specificity of 75.1% at a cut-off point of 23/24. Population-based norms confirmed the influence of age and education level on test performance.
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Study details
- Participants1,080
- Effect size89.8%; 75.1%; 80.8%
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 50/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, impact for its field and year and senior author's track record, so those were left out: it earned 43 of the 86 points we could judge it on, which is 50 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Medicina clinica) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| 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 | 1999 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 1,080 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 | 6 / 7 | Cited 640 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 22.1 citations a year over 29 year(s) since 1999 |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 57 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet: institution h-index 257 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 10422057) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 43 / 86 | Scored on 17 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 43 of the 86 points we could judge it on is 50 out of 100. |
| Total | 50 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
May need a subscription OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 6 Feb 1020), so the publisher may charge for it. The PubMed abstract is free.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. This record has no DOI, so the citation leaves it out. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Lobo, A., Saz, P., Marcos, G., Día, J. L., de la Cámara, C., Ventura, T., et al. (1999). [Revalidation and standardization of the cognition mini-exam (first Spanish version of the Mini-Mental Status Examination) in the general geriatric population]. Medicina clinica.
Vancouver
Lobo A, Saz P, Marcos G, Día JL, de la Cámara C, Ventura T, et al. [Revalidation and standardization of the cognition mini-exam (first Spanish version of the Mini-Mental Status Examination) in the general geriatric population]. Medicina clinica. 1999. PMID: 10422057.
BibTeX
@article{lobo1999-10422057,
author = {Lobo, A. and Saz, P. and Marcos, G. and Día, J. L. and de la Cámara, C. and Ventura, T. and Morales Asín, F. and Fernando Pascual, L. and others},
title = {{[Revalidation and standardization of the cognition mini-exam (first Spanish version of the Mini-Mental Status Examination) in the general geriatric population]}},
journal = {Medicina clinica},
year = {1999},
pmid = {10422057}
}
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