MMSE Language: Naming and Repetition 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: On the MMSE, what instruction does the examiner give before showing the objects for the naming task?
- 'What is this called?' while pointing to each object (Correct answer)
- 'Can you describe what this is used for?'
- 'Please read the name written on this card'
- 'Tell me as many words as you can think of'
Correct answer: 'What is this called?' while pointing to each object
The examiner points to each object and asks 'What is this called?' or 'What do you call this?' to elicit the object's name.
Question 2: Which type of aphasia is most likely in a patient who correctly names objects on the MMSE but cannot repeat 'No ifs, ands, or buts'?
- Conduction aphasia (Correct answer)
- Wernicke's aphasia
- Global aphasia
- Transcortical motor aphasia
Correct answer: Conduction aphasia
Conduction aphasia is characterized by relatively preserved naming and comprehension but markedly impaired repetition.
Question 3: A patient with severe Wernicke's aphasia attempts the MMSE repetition item. What is the most likely outcome?
- They produce a paraphasic or jargon response rather than the correct phrase (Correct answer)
- They repeat the phrase perfectly because repetition is preserved
- They refuse to respond due to anxiety
- They repeat only the last word of the phrase
Correct answer: They produce a paraphasic or jargon response rather than the correct phrase
Wernicke's aphasia impairs comprehension and repetition, causing paraphasic errors or fluent but incorrect jargon output.
Question 4: Why are the two objects shown in the MMSE naming task considered 'high-frequency' items?
- They are objects nearly all adults encounter regularly and should easily name (Correct answer)
- They appear on high-frequency vocabulary lists for second-language learners
- They are the highest-scoring items in the MMSE language section
- They require frequent repetition to learn their names
Correct answer: They are objects nearly all adults encounter regularly and should easily name
A pencil and watch are everyday, culturally familiar objects that cognitively intact adults reliably recognize and name without difficulty.
Question 5: How does the MMSE repetition task differ from the three-word registration task earlier in the exam?
- Repetition uses a phrase and scores fluency; registration uses single words and tests encoding (Correct answer)
- Repetition tests memory after a delay; registration tests immediate recall
- Repetition is scored out of 3; registration is scored out of 1
- They are identical tasks given at different points in the exam
Correct answer: Repetition uses a phrase and scores fluency; registration uses single words and tests encoding
Repetition assesses phonological and expressive language using a full phrase, while registration assesses verbal memory encoding using three individual words.
Question 6: An examiner shows a patient a pencil and the patient says 'pen.' How should this response be scored?
- 0 — 'pen' is not the correct object name for a pencil (Correct answer)
- 1 — 'pen' is close enough and functionally equivalent
- 0.5 — partial credit for identifying it as a writing instrument
- Prompt the patient once more before scoring
Correct answer: 0 — 'pen' is not the correct object name for a pencil
The MMSE requires the specific correct name; a pencil must be called 'pencil,' and 'pen' does not receive credit.
Question 7: What effect does severe hearing loss have on MMSE repetition task validity?
- It invalidates the task because the patient cannot hear the phrase to repeat (Correct answer)
- It has no effect because the phrase can be written instead
- It slightly reduces reliability but the item can still be scored normally
- It requires the examiner to repeat the phrase louder three times
Correct answer: It invalidates the task because the patient cannot hear the phrase to repeat
Severe hearing loss prevents accurate perception of the spoken phrase, making the repetition item invalid as a language measure in that patient.
MMSE Language: Naming and Repetition 4
On the MMSE, what instruction does the examiner give before showing the objects for the naming task?