The Meaning of Cognitive Impairment in the Elderly

Abstract

In order to determine the meaning of cognitive impairment in community dwelling elderly, 3,481 adults were interviewed in their homes using the Mini-Mental State Examination. Ninety-six per cent of the population aged 18-64 scored 23 or higher, whereas 80 per cent of the population 65 and over scored 23 or higher. Individuals with low scores were suffering from a variety of psychiatric disorders including dementia. Thirty-three per cent of the elderly population scoring in the range of 0-23 had no diagnosable DSM-III condition. Prevalence of dementia from all causes was 6.1 per cent of the population over age 65. Two per cent of the population over age 65 were diagnosed as having Alzheimer's disease.

Characterizing and Explaining Differences in Cognitive Test Performance Between African American and European American Older Adults

“…This non-equivalence is at least in part due to the historical effects of school segregation in the US prior to 1954, and associated factors like lower education expenditures, shorter school years, and higher student/teacher ratios that were experienced by African American students (Loewenstein, Arguelles, Arguelles, & Linn-Fuentes, 1994;Whitfield & Wiggins, 2003;. Investigators have suggested future research should explore the role of education, both quantitatively and qualitatively, in the epidemiology of cognitive impairment associated with Alzheimer's disease (e.g., Folstein, Anthony, & Parhad, 1985;Whitfield, 2002;Whitfield & Wiggins, 2003). Furthermore, Whitfield (1996Whitfield ( , 2002 suggested that studies should examine the practical aspects of cognitive functioning, including performance on measures of everyday problem solving, in the assessment of cognitive status.…”

Serotonin 1A Receptor Binding and Treatment Response in Late-Life Depression

“…The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) (Folstein et al, 1985) and Mattis Dementia Rating Scale (Mattis, 1976) were administered to evaluate cognitive status. Patients and controls had routine physical examinations and blood tests (including thyroid hormone levels).…”

Educational program in oral health for caregivers on the oral hygiene of dependent elders

“…The mean age of the LTCI residents was 82.3 years (60-97 years), and the population was predominantly female (n = 21; 52.5%) and Caucasian (n = 34; 85.0%). All elderly were classified as having some kind of dependency and cognitive impairment observed through the scores of Barthel index (with average of 40) and Mini Mental State Examination (average of 20) respectively. This strategy (dependent and cognitive impairment elders) was used to guarantee that only the caregiver participation in the hygiene process was known, considering that the diet also has not changed during the study period.…”

“…The inclusion criteria were: the elder should consent in participate, have a minimum age of 60 years, be classified as partially functional dependent by Barthel index 19 , as well as have impairment according to Mini Mental State Examination score 20 .…”

“…The cognitive status of the patients was determined with the Mental State Examination (MMSE) 20 , a widely-used instrument for this proposal, considered objective and easy to apply. The instrument is composed of questions subdivided into six items: temporo-spatial orientation, recent memory, evocation, calculation, constructional ability and language (aphasia, agnosia and apraxia).…”