Mini-Mental State Examination norms in a community-dwelling sample of elderly with low schooling in Brazil

The objective of this study was to assess Mini-Mental State Examination norms of a functionally normal sample of community-dwelling elderly. Illiterate and low-educated subjects who scored less than 5 on the Pfeffer Functional Activities Questionnaire (PFAQ) [n = 397; female = 269; mean age = 72.15 (SD = 7.24) years] had the 5th, 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles calculated according to age (65-74; 75-84 years). Overall MMSE score was 21.97 (SD = 4.48). Mean MMSE for illiterate younger individuals was 19.46 (SD = 3.47), and the quartile distribution was 14, 17, 19, and 21. MMSE of subjects with 1-8 years of schooling was 23.90 (3.87), and the distribution was 15, 22, 24, and 27. MMSE of older illiterate subjects was 18.11 (SD = 3.63), and the distribution of scores was 13, 16, 18, and 20, whereas subjects with 1-8 years of schooling scored 23.81 (SD = 4.01) and the distribution was 15, 22, 24, and 27. These MMSE normative data may help improve the detection of cognitive impairment in Brazil, mainly in the primary clinical setting.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Laks,Jerson, Baptista,Elienai Maria Rubim, Contino,Ana Lúcia Barros, Paula,Estevão Oliveira de, Engelhardt,Eliasz
Format: Digital revista
Language:English
Published: Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz 2007
Online Access:http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0102-311X2007000200007
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