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The Mini-Mental State Examination in general medical practice: clinical utility and acceptance
Tangalos EG, Smith GE, Ivnik RJ, Petersen RC, Kokmen E, Kurland LT, Offord KP, Parisi JE.. Mayo Clinic proceedings, 1996-09-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Objective To examine the psychometric properties, acceptance, and screening efficacy of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in an internal medicine practice. Material and methods The MMSE was administered more than 4,000 times by 27 internists to 3,513 elderly patients (2,299 women and 1,214 men, 60 to 102 years old) who underwent general medical examinations. The efficacy of the MMSE for screening was measured in a subsample of age- and sex-matched patients with dementia (N = 185) and control subjects (N = 227).
Key findings
- Material and methods The MMSE was administered more than 4,000 times by 27 internists to 3,513 elderly patients (2,299 women and 1,214 men, 60 to 102 years old) who underwent general medical examinations.
- The efficacy of the MMSE for screening was measured in a subsample of age- and sex-matched patients with dementia (N = 185) and control subjects (N = 227).
- MMSE scores were correlated with age and education in the community sample.
- The attitudes of physicians about the MMSE were assessed with a 12-question survey.
Why it matters
This study examined how well the Mini-Mental State Examination screens for dementia when given by internists in general medical practice, using over 4,000 administrations. It is about screening in routine care and does not address treating, curing or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Participants185
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 49/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Mayo Clinic proceedings) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Mayo Clinic Proceedings: journal h-index 293 (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 | 1996 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 185 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) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 262 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 8.2 citations a year over 32 year(s) since 1996 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 3.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 14 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 10 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Joseph E. Parisi: h-index 75 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Mayo Clinic: institution h-index 1,606 (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 8790257) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 49 / 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. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 8 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Tangalos, E. G., Smith, G. E., Ivnik, R. J., Petersen, R. C., Kokmen, E., Kurland, L. T., et al. (1996). The Mini-Mental State Examination in general medical practice: clinical utility and acceptance. Mayo Clinic proceedings. https://doi.org/10.4065/71.9.829
Vancouver
Tangalos EG, Smith GE, Ivnik RJ, Petersen RC, Kokmen E, Kurland LT, et al. The Mini-Mental State Examination in general medical practice: clinical utility and acceptance. Mayo Clinic proceedings. 1996. doi:10.4065/71.9.829. PMID: 8790257.
BibTeX
@article{tangalos1996-8790257,
author = {Tangalos, E. G. and Smith, G. E. and Ivnik, R. J. and Petersen, R. C. and Kokmen, E. and Kurland, L. T. and Offord, K. P. and Parisi, J. E.},
title = {{The Mini-Mental State Examination in general medical practice: clinical utility and acceptance}},
journal = {Mayo Clinic proceedings},
year = {1996},
doi = {10.4065/71.9.829},
pmid = {8790257},
url = {https://doi.org/10.4065/71.9.829}
}
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