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Cognitive Deficits in Healthy Elderly Population With "Normal" Scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination.
- Source :
-
Journal of geriatric psychiatry and neurology [J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol] 2016 May; Vol. 29 (3), pp. 126-32. Date of Electronic Publication: 2016 Feb 04. - Publication Year :
- 2016
-
Abstract
- This study investigated whether healthy older adults with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores above 23 exhibit cognitive impairment on neuropsychological tests. Participants completed the MMSE and a neuropsychological battery including tests of 10 domains. Results were compared to published normative data. On neuropsychological testing, participants performed well on measures of naming and recall but showed mild to moderate impairment in working memory and processing speed and marked impairment in inhibition, sustained attention, and executive functioning. Almost everyone (91%) scored at least 1 standard deviation (SD) below the mean in at least 1 domain. The median number of domains in which individuals scored below 1 SD was 3.0 of 10.0, whereas over 21% scored below 1 SD in 5 domains or more. With the strictest of definitions for impairment, 20% of this population scored below 2.0 SDs below the norm in at least 2 domains, a necessary condition for a diagnosis of dementia. The finding that cognitive impairment, particularly in attention and executive functioning, is found in healthy older persons who perform well on the MMSE has clinical and research implications in terms of emphasizing normal variability in performance and early identification of possible impairment.<br /> (© The Author(s) 2016.)
- Subjects :
- Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Attention physiology
Dementia diagnosis
Early Diagnosis
Executive Function physiology
Female
Healthy Volunteers psychology
Humans
Inhibition, Psychological
Male
Memory, Short-Term physiology
Mental Recall physiology
Middle Aged
Cognition Disorders diagnosis
Cognition Disorders psychology
Neuropsychological Tests
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0891-9887
- Volume :
- 29
- Issue :
- 3
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Journal of geriatric psychiatry and neurology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 26850856
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1177/0891988716629858