The online MMSE calculator is the medical clinical online app for screening assessment of cognitive decline, including dementia due to Alzheimer's disease and subcortical brain impairment.
| Method | Score | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Single cutoff | <24 | Abnormal |
| Range |
<21 >25 |
Increased odds of dementia Decreased odds of dementia |
| Education |
<21 <23 <24 |
Abnormal for 8th grade eduation Abnormal for college education Abnormal for high school education |
| Severity |
0-17 18-23 24-30 |
Severe cognitive impairment Mild cognitive impairment No cognitive impairment |
| MMSE stages of Alzheimer’s Disease |
0-9 10-20 21-24 25-30 |
Severe dementia Moderate dementia Mild dementia May be normal |
Any score of 24 or more (out of 30) indicates a normal cognition. Below this, scores can indicate severe (≤9 points), moderate (10–18 points) or mild (19–23 points) cognitive impairment. The raw score may also need to be corrected for educational attainment and age. That is, even a maximum score of 30 points can never rule out dementia. Low to very low scores correlate closely with the presence of dementia, although other mental disorders can also lead to abnormal findings on MMSE testing. The presence of purely physical problems can also interfere with interpretation if not properly noted; for example, a patient may be physically unable to hear or read instructions properly or may have a motor deficit that affects writing and drawing skills.
The MMSE has been able to differentiate different types of dementias. Studies have found that patients with Alzheimer's disease score significantly lower on orientation to time and place, and recall compared to patients with dementia with Lewy bodies, vascular dementia and Parkinson's disease dementia.[23][24][25] However, systematic reviews of this test have shown no evidence to support this examination as a stand-alone one-time test for identifying high risk individuals who are likely to develop Alzheimer's.