This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the 10-item Abbreviated Mental Test (AMT) and the 18-item Chinese Mini-Mental Status Examination (CMMSE) in identifying cognitive impairment related to dementia among elderly Chinese individuals. Furthermore, the research sought to determine how optimal cut-off scores for these tests varied based on the education level and age of the patients. Finally, the study aimed to evaluate which of these two tests provided more accurate diagnostic capabilities in this population.
The research involved 151 cognitively healthy elderly Chinese individuals living in the community and 95 elderly Chinese outpatients diagnosed with dementia. Both the AMT and CMMSE tests were administered to all participants. Receiver-Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis was employed to establish the most effective cut-off scores for each test, considering subgroups based on education and age. The areas under the ROC curves were then compared using non-parametric methods to determine which test offered superior accuracy in Diagnosis 中文 of cognitive impairment.
The results indicated that both the AMT and CMMSE are effective tools for identifying cognitive impairment. However, the study found that higher cut-off scores were necessary for younger and more educated individuals, while lower cut-off scores were appropriate for older and less educated subgroups. Notably, the AMT appeared to reach a ceiling effect in more educated categories, suggesting it may be less sensitive in this population. While the diagnostic accuracy of the AMT and CMMSE was statistically equivalent overall, there was a trend suggesting that the CMMSE performed somewhat better in the more educated subgroups within the study.
In conclusion, to maximize the diagnostic efficiency of both the AMT and CMMSE as valuable mental status assessments, it is crucial to adjust cut-off scores to account for the patient’s education and age. Although this study did not definitively establish the superiority of one test over the other, the findings suggest practical guidelines for clinical use. The AMT is recommended for elderly Chinese patients with 0-6 years of education when conducting a diagnosis 中文 of cognitive function. For individuals with higher levels of literacy, the CMMSE is likely a more appropriate instrument for accurately diagnosing cognitive impairment.
