The Reliability and Validity of the Mini-Mental State Examination in the Elderly Croatian Population

AIM: The aim of this study was standardization and validation of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in the general Croatian aging population. ----- METHODS: Three-hundred and forty-four participants underwent the MMSE test, 217 cognitively healthy subjects without neurological and psychiatric disorders and 127 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia. ----- RESULTS: The optimal cutoff point for screening of the general Croatian population (cognitively healthy vs. MCI and dementia) is 26/27; in the Croatian population aged ≥65 years, the cutoff point is 24/25, whereas for screening of highly educated persons (≥14 years of education) aged ≥65 years a higher cutoff point should be used (26/27). ----- CONCLUSIONS: MMSE results when standardized and validated in a certain population might better contribute to recognition of the individuals at risk that should be directed to dementia outpatient clinics.