The conversational mini-mental state examination: Estimating cognitive impairment

Formal cognitive testing is an integral part of the mental state examination, and we aimed to test whether clinicians were able to predict the score on the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) by watching a conversation between a person and the interviewer about their memory. A total of 41 professionals rated 30 patients–generally the scores on the MMSE were underestimated and experienced professionals did worse than less experienced practitioners. The results underscore the need for formal cognitive assessment and the requirements for training in the administration of cognitive tests.