DefinitionMental status testing is done to check a person's thinking ability, and to determine if any problems are getting better or worse. It is also called neurocognitive testing. Show
Alternative NamesMental status exam; Neurocognitive testing; Dementia-mental status testing How the Test is PerformedA health care provider will ask a number of questions. The test can be done in the home, in an office, nursing home, or hospital. Sometimes, a psychologist with special training will do more detailed tests. Common tests used are the mini-mental state examination (MMSE), or Folstein test, and the Montréal cognitive assessment (MoCA). The following may be tested: APPEARANCE The provider will check your physical appearance, including:
ATTITUDE
ORIENTATION The provider will ask questions such as:
PSYCHOMOTOR ACTIVITY
ATTENTION SPAN Attention span may be tested earlier, because this basic skill can influence the rest of the tests. The provider will check:
You may be asked to do the following:
RECENT AND PAST MEMORY The provider will ask questions related to recent people, places, and events in your life or in the world. You may be shown three items and asked to say what they are, and then recall them after 5 minutes. The provider will ask about your childhood, school, or events that occurred earlier in life. LANGUAGE FUNCTION The provider will determine if you can formulate your ideas clearly. You'll be observed for if you repeat yourself or repeat what the provider says. The provider will also determine if you have trouble expressing or understanding (aphasia). The provider will point to everyday items in the room and ask you to name them, and possibly to name less common items. You may be asked to say as many words as possible that start with a certain letter, or that are in a certain category, in 1 minute. You may be asked to read or write a sentence. JUDGMENT AND INTELLIGENCE This part of the test looks at your ability to solve a problem or situation. You may be asked questions such as:
Some tests that screen for language problems using reading or writing do not account for people who do not read or write. If you know that the person being tested cannot read or write, tell the provider before the test. If your child is having the test, it is important to help them understand the reason for the test. Normal ResultsMost tests are divided into sections, each with its own score. The results help show which part of someone's thinking and memory may be affected. What Abnormal Results MeanA number of health conditions can affect mental status. The provider will discuss these with you. An abnormal mental status test alone does not diagnose the cause. However, poor performance on such tests can be due to medical illness, brain disease such as dementia, Parkinson disease, or to mental illness. ReferencesBeresin EV, Gordon C. The psychiatric interview. In: Stern TA, Fava M, Wilens TE, Rosenbaum JF, eds. Massachusetts General Hospital Comprehensive Clinical Psychiatry. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2016:chap 2. Gierus J, Mosiolek A, Koweszko T, Wnukiewicz P, Kozyra O, Szulc A. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment as a preliminary assessment tool in general psychiatry: validity of MoCA in psychiatric patients. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2015;37(5):476-480. PMID: 26054843 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26054843. Topic Resources The patient’s attention span is assessed first; an inattentive patient cannot cooperate fully and hinders testing. Any hint of cognitive decline requires examination of mental status ( see
Examination of Mental Status
Examination of Mental Status
Orientation to time, place, and person Attention and concentration Memory Verbal and mathematical abilities Judgment Reasoning Loss of orientation to person (ie, not knowing one’s own name) occurs only when obtundation, delirium Delirium Delirium is an acute, transient, usually reversible, fluctuating disturbance in attention, cognition, and consciousness level. Causes include almost any disorder or drug. Diagnosis is clinical... read more , or dementia Dementia Dementia is chronic, global, usually irreversible deterioration of cognition. Diagnosis is clinical; laboratory and imaging tests are usually used to identify treatable causes. Treatment is... read more is severe; when it occurs as an isolated symptom, it suggests malingering. The patient is asked to do the following:
Spatial perception can be assessed by asking the patient to imitate simple and complex finger constructions and to draw a clock, cube, house, or interlocking pentagons; the effort expended is often as informative as the final product. This test may identify impersistence, perseveration, micrographia, and hemispatial neglect. Praxis (cognitive ability to do complex motor movements) can be assessed by asking the patient to use a toothbrush or comb, light a match, or snap the fingers. Click here for Patient Education  Copyright © 2022 Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA and its affiliates. All rights reserved. What are the 4 methods of clinical assessment?WHEN YOU PERFORM a physical assessment, you'll use four techniques: inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation. Use them in sequence—unless you're performing an abdominal assessment.
Which types of tests might be used in the assessment of a psychological disorder?Some different types of psychological tests that may be used to help clarify a diagnosis include:. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Dissociative Experiences Scale.. Goldberg Bipolar Spectrum Screening Questionnaire.. Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A). Schizophrenia Test and Early Psychosis Indicator (STEP). What is included in a clinical assessment?Clinical assessment refers to collecting information and drawing conclusions through the use of observation, psychological tests, neurological tests, and interviews to determine what the person's problem is and what symptoms he/she is presenting with.
What are the main methods used in clinical assessment?There are several methods used in clinical assessment. However, the main methods are clinical interviews, intelligence tests (IQ tests), neurological and biological tests, and observations.
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Which of the following are assessed during the mental status examination? choose all that apply.
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