The Development of PC-based Mini-Mental Status Examination

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to develop the PC-based Mini-mental Status Examination (PC-MMSE) including its protocol to improve the reliability of MMSE, to have convenience for administration, and to evaluate the test-retest reliability. METHOD: The factors of decreasing the reliability on MMSE are analyzed such as following. 1) The way of question, pronunciation, and loudness of speech can be different between the test-retest or tester-tester, 2) the learning effect can occur when the test is repeatedly administrated, and 3) the test protocol is not determined in detail. The PC-MMSE and its protocol are designed to solve this problem. PC-MMSE has been developed to have functions such as following. 1) It was made constant verbal stimulation, 2) the question contents of the same level of difficulty in changeable items were developed and some of those can be randomly selected, and 3) it was made the adminstration of test and the management on the test results, conveniently. Protocol on PC-MMSE was also developed for standardization in the administration of test. These two tests of PC-MMSE on 26 stroke patients are administrated for the evaluation of test-retest reliability. RESULTS: The test-retest Spearman's correlation coefficient of PC-MMSE is 0.967 (p<0.01). The Spearman's correlation coefficient of PC-MMSE which is related with sex, education, lesion site, and hemiplegic side is more than 0.89. CONCLUSION: The PC-MMSE and its protocol are thought to be useful for the repeated evaluation of cognitive function.