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The mini-mental state examination: a comprehensive review
Tombaugh TN, McIntyre NJ.. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 1992-09-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Objective The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of information accumulated over the past 26 years regarding the psychometric properties and utility of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Participants The reviewed studies assessed a wide variety of subjects, ranging from cognitively intact community residents to those with severe cognitive impairment associated with various types of dementing illnesses. Main outcome measures The validity of the MMSE was compared against a variety of gold standards, including DSM-III-R and NINCDS-ADRDA criteria, clinical diagnoses, Activities of Daily Living measures, and other tests that putatively identify and measure cognitive impairment.
Key findings
- Participants The reviewed studies assessed a wide variety of subjects, ranging from cognitively intact community residents to those with severe cognitive impairment associated with various types of dementing illnesses.
- Main outcome measures The validity of the MMSE was compared against a variety of gold standards, including DSM-III-R and NINCDS-ADRDA criteria, clinical diagnoses, Activities of Daily Living measures, and other tests that putatively identify and measure cognitive impairment.
- Results Reliability and construct validity were judged to be satisfactory.
- Measures of criterion validity showed high levels of sensitivity for moderate-to-severe cognitive impairment and lower levels for mild degrees of impairment.
Why it matters
This 1992 review of 26 years of research on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) judged its reliability and construct validity "to be satisfactory". Compared with diagnostic criteria, clinical diagnoses and other measures, the MMSE showed "high levels of sensitivity for moderate-to-severe cognitive impairment and lower levels for mild degrees of impairment". That means it is better at picking up moderate-to-severe impairment than mild impairment.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 52/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 50 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 52 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of the American Geriatrics Society) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Journal of the American Geriatrics Society: journal h-index 344 (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 | 1992 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 7 / 7 | Cited 5,160 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 143.3 citations a year over 36 year(s) since 1992 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 21.6× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 5 / 6 | Cited by 114 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 4 / 4 | Cited 690 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | OpenAlex's profile for last-listed author Nancy J. McIntyre holds only 1 work(s), too few to judge a track record — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Carleton University: institution h-index 546 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre 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 1512391) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 50 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 50 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 52 out of 100. |
| Total | 52 / 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
Tombaugh, T. N., & McIntyre, N. J. (1992). The mini-mental state examination: a comprehensive review. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-5415.1992.tb01992.x
Vancouver
Tombaugh TN, McIntyre NJ. The mini-mental state examination: a comprehensive review. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 1992. doi:10.1111/j.1532-5415.1992.tb01992.x. PMID: 1512391.
BibTeX
@article{tombaugh1992-1512391,
author = {Tombaugh, T. N. and McIntyre, N. J.},
title = {{The mini-mental state examination: a comprehensive review}},
journal = {Journal of the American Geriatrics Society},
year = {1992},
doi = {10.1111/j.1532-5415.1992.tb01992.x},
pmid = {1512391},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-5415.1992.tb01992.x}
}
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