MMSE - Mini-Mental State Examination Reading and Writing Tasks Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient is given a piece of paper with "CLOSE YOUR EYES" written on it and is instructed to read it and do what it says. The patient reads the phrase aloud correctly but makes no motion to close their eyes. How should the examiner score this response?
- 1 point, because the patient demonstrated they could read the phrase.
- 0 points, unless the examiner repeats the instruction.
- 0 points, because the point is awarded for performing the commanded action. (Correct answer)
- 1 point, but only after prompting the patient to perform the action.
Correct answer: 0 points, because the point is awarded for performing the commanded action.
The score for the reading task is awarded based on the patient's ability to comprehend and follow the written command, not simply to read it aloud. The action of closing the eyes is what demonstrates comprehension, so failure to perform the action results in a score of 0.
Question 2: When administering the writing task, an examiner asks the patient to write any complete sentence. The patient writes, "weather is nice". Which of the following is the correct score and rationale?
- 0 points, because the sentence is not capitalized and lacks punctuation.
- 1 point, because the sentence contains a subject and a verb and is sensible. (Correct answer)
- 0 points, because the examiner should have provided a topic for the sentence.
- 1 point, but the examiner should correct the spelling of 'weather' for the patient.
Correct answer: 1 point, because the sentence contains a subject and a verb and is sensible.
A score of 1 is awarded if the patient writes a spontaneous sentence that contains a subject ('weather') and a verb ('is') and is sensible. Scoring is not dependent on correct capitalization, punctuation, or spelling.
Question 3: Which of the following patient responses to the command to "Write any complete sentence" would be scored as 1 point?
- The patient's signature
- "Going to the store"
- "it is cold" (Correct answer)
- "For my family"
Correct answer: "it is cold"
The response "it is cold" is a complete, sensible sentence containing a subject ('it') and a verb ('is'). A signature is not a sentence. "Going to the store" is a phrase lacking a subject. "For my family" is a prepositional phrase, not a complete sentence.
Question 4: During the visuoconstruction task, a patient is asked to copy two intersecting pentagons. The patient draws two five-sided figures that are perfectly formed, but they are placed next to each other on the page and do not intersect. What is the correct score?
- 1 point, because both shapes were correctly drawn as pentagons.
- 0.5 points, as a partial credit for drawing the shapes correctly.
- 1 point, because the primary task is to assess shape formation, not placement.
- 0 points, because the figures must intersect to receive credit. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 0 points, because the figures must intersect to receive credit.
To receive a point for the copying task, the patient's drawing must meet two criteria: both figures must have five sides (for a total of ten angles), and the two figures must intersect. Failure to meet both of these criteria results in a score of 0.
Question 5: The MMSE task that requires a patient to write a spontaneous sentence primarily assesses which of the following cognitive abilities?
- Fine motor skills and dexterity
- Visuospatial processing
- Auditory comprehension
- Spontaneous language production and executive function (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Spontaneous language production and executive function
This task requires the patient to formulate a thought and express it in written language, which involves spontaneous language production. It also taps into executive functions, as the patient must organize their thoughts into a grammatically coherent structure (subject-verb). While fine motor skills are used, they are not the primary function being assessed.
Question 6: An examiner is scoring the intersecting pentagons copying task. Which of the following conditions should be ignored and NOT result in a point deduction, according to standard MMSE scoring guidelines?
- The patient draws one figure with six sides.
- The patient draws two closed circles that intersect.
- The patient draws two correct pentagons that intersect, but the lines are very shaky. (Correct answer)
- The patient draws two pentagons that do not touch.
Correct answer: The patient draws two correct pentagons that intersect, but the lines are very shaky.
Standard MMSE scoring guidelines for the copying task explicitly state that tremor and rotation of the figure should be ignored. The critical elements are that both figures have five angles and that they intersect. Drawing an incorrect shape or failing to make the shapes intersect are scoring errors.
MMSE - Mini-Mental State Examination Reading and Writing Tasks Questions and Answers
A patient is given a piece of paper with "CLOSE YOUR EYES" written on it and is instructed to read it and do what it says.
The patient reads the phrase aloud correctly but makes no motion to close their eyes.
How should the examiner score this response?