Posts Tagged ‘MMSE’
For Physicians: Screening Measures vs. Neuropsychological Testing Referrals
Question: As a physician, I use an in-house test for Alzheimer’s disease. Why would I need to refer a patient for neuropsychological testing?
Many physicians use the Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE) or similar brief screening measures when a patient or patient’s family members bring up memory concerns. However, physicians may consider referring a patient to neuropsychological testing for many reasons, including the following:
- The MMSE test is not very sensitive, missing between 23 and 55 percent of Mild Cognitive Impairment, which can be an early indicator of Alzheimer’s disease or other neurodegenerative disorders
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Neuropsychology and Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease and other Neurodegenerative Disorders
New diagnostic techniques have revealed pathological changes in the brain that occur early in the process of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. Researchers suggest that these pathological changes can precede noticeable clinical symptoms (memory loss, personality changes) by as many as ten years (Sperling et al., 2011). Thus, by the time even subtle symptoms are present, these processes may have been taking place for years, so early diagnosis is crucial.