The Mini-Cog as a screen for dementia: validation in a population-based sample
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Objectives To test the Mini-Cog, a brief cognitive screening test, in an epidemiological study of dementia in older Americans. Design A population-based post hoc examination of the sensitivity and specificity of the Mini-Cog for detecting dementia in an existing data set. Setting The Monongahela Valley in Western Pennsylvania. Participants A random sample of 1,119 older adults enrolled in the Monongahela Valley Independent Elders Survey (MoVIES). Measurements The effectiveness of the Mini-Cog in detecting independently diagnosed dementia was compared with that of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and a standardized neuropsychological battery. Results The Mini-Cog, scored by an algorithm as "possibly impaired" or "probably normal," and the MMSE, at a cutpoint of 25, had similar sensitivity (76% vs 79%) and specificity (89% vs 88%) for dementia, comparable with that achieved using a conventional neuropsychological battery (75% sensitivity, 90% specificity). Conclusion When applied post hoc to an existing population, the Mini-Cog was as effective in detecting dementia as longer screening and assessment instruments. Its brevity is a distinct advantage when the goal is to improve identification of older adults in a population who may be cognitively impaired. Prior evidence of good performance in a multiethnic community-based sample further supports its validity in the ethnolinguistically diverse populations of the United States in which widely used cognitive screens often f…
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Several assessment tools are available to screen for cognitive impairment, such as the Mini-Cog, Mini-Mental State Examination, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment, which may help identify individuals with dementia or those requiring neuropsychological evaluation when dementia is suspected.
“Several assessment tools are available to screen for cognitive impairment (29,30), such as the Mini-Cog (31), Mini-Mental State Examination (32), and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (33), which may help identify individuals with dementia (who are experiencing memory loss, a decrease in executive function, and declines in their basic and instrumental activities of daily living) or those requiring”
From 13. Older Adults: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2026 (2026) · cites this paper as [31]
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- Authors
- Borson, S., Scanlan, J. M., Chen, P., & Ganguli, M.
- Affiliations
- University of Washington (US)
- University of Pittsburgh (US)
- Venue
- Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2003-09-23
- Volume
- 51
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 1451-1454
- ISSN
- 0002-8614 (ISSN-L)
- 1532-5415
- OpenAlex
- W1553544812
- Cited by
- 1,348
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 93 · 2025: 122 · 2024: 121 · 2023: 83 · 2022: 121 · 2021: 118 · 2020: 120 · 2019: 85 · 2018: 77 · 2017: 57 · 2016: 52 · 2015: 48 · 2014: 44 · 2013: 35 · 2012: 44
- FWCI
- 4.69
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Deep Blue (University of Michigan) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute on Aging (AG 05136, R01AG007562, AG-7562, P50AG005136)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Historical and Modern Theater Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Psychological Testing and Assessment
- Keywords
- Mini-Cog, dementia screening, cognitive screening tests, Mini-Mental State Examination, sensitivity and specificity, older adults, neuropsychological assessment
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Dementia, Female, Humans, Male, Mass Screening, Neuropsychological Tests, Pennsylvania, Psychometrics, Mental Recall, Sensitivity and Specificity
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