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44/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 44 out of 100. Cognitive tests and assessment

Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies

Plain-language summary

Background The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) has contributed to detecting cognitive impairment, yet few studies have evaluated its accuracy when used by general practitioners (GP) in an actual public-health setting. Objectives We evaluated the accuracy of MMSE scores obtained by GPs by comparing them to scores obtained by Alzheimer's Evaluation Units (UVA). Methods The study was observational in design and involved 59 voluntary GPs who, after having undergone training, administered the MMSE to patients with symptoms of cognitive disturbances.

What this study adds

Evidence grade: Low

The record lists 317 participants. This observational study compared MMSE scores given by 59 trained general practitioners with scores from Alzheimer's Evaluation Units in 317 patients with cognitive symptoms. It concerns the accuracy of a screening test in practice and does not address treating, curing or preventing Alzheimer's disease.

Taken from this record’s own fields, not from reading the paper. The grade is assigned from the abstract’s wording; what that means.

Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris

APA 7th

Pezzotti, P., Scalmana, S., Mastromattei, A., Di Lallo, D., & Progetto Alzheimer Working Group. (2008). The accuracy of the MMSE in detecting cognitive impairment when administered by general practitioners: a prospective observational study. BMC family practice. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2296-9-29

Vancouver

Pezzotti P, Scalmana S, Mastromattei A, Di Lallo D, Progetto Alzheimer Working Group. The accuracy of the MMSE in detecting cognitive impairment when administered by general practitioners: a prospective observational study. BMC family practice. 2008. doi:10.1186/1471-2296-9-29. PMID: 18477390.

BibTeX

@article{pezzotti2008-18477390,
  author  = {Pezzotti, P. and Scalmana, S. and Mastromattei, A. and Di Lallo, D. and {Progetto Alzheimer Working Group}},
  title   = {{The accuracy of the MMSE in detecting cognitive impairment when administered by general practitioners: a prospective observational study}},
  journal = {BMC family practice},
  year    = {2008},
  doi     = {10.1186/1471-2296-9-29},
  pmid    = {18477390},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2296-9-29}
}

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.

How to read this study

Design: our record does not state a study design, so check the methods section of the original before weighing the result.
Size: the record lists 317 participants. Ask whether that is enough for the question, and who they were.
Effect: the record gives no effect size, so the summary above cannot say how large any difference was.

What the evidence grade means here

This page is graded low. alzhub.org assigns the grade automatically from keywords in the abstract, not from reading the paper. Low means the abstract matched neither pattern. It is the default label, and it does not mean the work is poor; many sound lab and imaging papers land here. It can add at most 5 of the 100 points in the study score, and it is a label about design, not a verdict on whether the findings are true.

New to reading papers? Six questions to ask of any Alzheimer’s study · how we score.

Key findings

Objectives We evaluated the accuracy of MMSE scores obtained by GPs by comparing them to scores obtained by Alzheimer's Evaluation Units (UVA).
Methods The study was observational in design and involved 59 voluntary GPs who, after having undergone training, administered the MMSE to patients with symptoms of cognitive disturbances.
Individuals who scored Results For the 317 patients, the mean score obtained by GPs was significantly lower (15.8 vs. 17.4 for the UVAs; p Conclusion In a public-health setting involving patients with symptoms of cognitive disturbances, the MMSE used by the GPs was sufficiently accurate to detect pa

Why it matters

This observational study compared MMSE scores given by 59 trained general practitioners with scores from Alzheimer's Evaluation Units in 317 patients with cognitive symptoms. It concerns the accuracy of a screening test in practice and does not address treating, curing or preventing Alzheimer's disease.

Study details

Participants317
Evidence strengthLow

How this study scored 44/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (BMC family practice)
Journal's citation record	1 / 4	BMC Family Practice: journal h-index 128 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29)
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	2008 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here
Sample size	2 / 4	317 participants
Effect reported	0 / 3	No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Studied in people	3 / 3	Studied in people (participant count stated)
Randomized / blinded	0 / 2	No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Times cited	5 / 7	Cited 157 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	2 / 5	7.8 citations a year over 20 year(s) since 2008
Impact for its field and year	2 / 6	Cited 2.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	2 / 6	Cited by 5 other studies in this library
Still being cited	2 / 4	Cited 39 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	2 / 4	Last-listed author Domenico Di Lallo: h-index 25 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	0 / 3	Regione Lazio: institution h-index 186 (OpenAlex)
Multicenter collaboration	0 / 3	OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete)
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 18477390)
Free to read	2 / 2	Free to read
Total	44 / 100	—

What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →

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