Modification of brief cognitive assessments for use with elderly people from the South Asian sub-continent

Screening tests for the detection of mental health problems in elderly people from ethnic minority backgrounds in the UK need to be culturally sensitive but retain satisfactory diagnostic power in terms of definable mental illness. As part of a multi-disciplinary, multiethnic project in Manchester we present our experience in developing modified versions of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Abbreviated Mental Test Score (AMTS). Several factors have been proposed as essential prerequisites before validating known tests in a new population. An amalgamation of methods from the literature was employed to modify the instruments. Culturally acceptable versions of the MMSE and AMTS have been developed for use in a wider two-phase study to validate the instrument. This information will provide those working with people from ethnic minority backgrounds, of all ages, with both a thorough and a pragmatic method for modifying and adapting instruments.