Cognitive Function

It is important to assess the cognitive state of many patients as it can be reduced in dementia, depression and secondary to other psychiatric disorders e.g. chronic schizophrenia and as a side effect of medications.

There are a wide variety of cognitive testing instruments which are available for use. A handful have come to the fore and are recognised as being the best for testing cognitive function in different contexts.

Abbreviated Mental Test Score (AMTS)
This is a 10 point test developed and validated by Hodkinson in 1972 to rapidly assess elderly patients for the possibility of dementia. It has become widely popular in medicine to assess for confusion and other cognitive impairment as it is quick and easy to administer. The test can be carried out in any setting and requires no equipment. The test has been mainly validated in the elderly.

Click here to download the AMTS

Short Orientation Memory Concentration Test (SoMCT)
This is a 6-item Orientation-Memory-Concentration Test which has been validated as a measure of cognitive impairment. Results have been shown to correlate to the number of brain plaques found at autopsy in patients with Alzheimer’s.

Click here to download the SoMCT

Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)
This is a 30-point test used to screen for cognitive impairment and estimate the severity of cognitive impairment. It samples various functions including arithmetic, memory and orientation. It is used to follow the course of cognitive changes in individuals over time, thus making it an effective way to document an individual's response to treatment. It was introduced by Folstein et al in 1975. It will take about 15 minutes to complete and therefore isn't suitable to be carried out in every interview.

Click here to download the MMSE

Montreal Cognitive Assessment Screening Test (MoCA)

The MoCA is a cognitive screening test designed to assist the detection of mild cognitive impairment. This 10-minute cognitive screening tool designed to assist first-line physicians in detection of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a clinical state that often progresses to dementia. The MoCA has high sensitivity and specificity for detecting MCI as currently conceptualized in patients performing in the normal range on the MMSE.

Click here to download the (MoCA)