Mental status exam; Mental status tests

The most commonly used test, the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) or Folstein test, is scored from 0 to 30. The test is also divided up into sections, each one with its own smaller score. These results may help show which part of someone's thinking and memory may be affected.

A number of conditions or problems can affect mental status:

• Alcohol intoxication
• Certain drugs and medications
• Encephalopathy, either chronic or acute
• Head trauma or concussion
• Many psychiatric conditions
• Many neurologic conditions
• Withdrawal from narcotics and barbiturates

See the following for a complete list of causes and treatments:

• Dementia
• Dementia due to metabolic causes
• Memory loss

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Review Date: 03/09/2010
Reviewed By: Daniel B. Hoch, PhD, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)