Table 2.

Common brief cognitive screening tools

Test	Time (min)	Advantages	Limitations
Mini-Mental Status Examination118 (MMSE)	7–10	Most widely used and studied worldwide Often used as a reference for comparative evaluations of other assessments Required for some drug insurance reimbursements	Education/age/language/culture bias Ceiling effect (highly educated impaired subjects pass) Proprietary: unless used from memory, test needs to be purchased Best performance for at least moderate cognitive impairment
Montreal Cognitive Assessment119 (MoCA)	10–15	Designed to test for mild cognitive impairment Multiple languages accessible Tests many separate domains (7)	Lacks studies in general practice settings Education bias (≤12 y) Limited use and evidence: published data are relatively new (2005) Administration time ≥10 min
St Louis University Mental Status Examination120 (SLUMS)	7	No education bias Tests many separate domains (7)	Limited use and evidence: published data are relatively new (2006) Studied in Veterans Affairs geriatric clinic (predominantly white males)
Mini-Cog121	2–4	Developed for and validated in primary care and multiple languages/cultures Little or no education/language/race bias Short administration time	Use of different word lists may affect failure rates Some study results based on longer tests with the Mini-Cog elements reviewed independently

Adapted from Cordell CB, Borson S, Boustani M, et al. Alzheimer’s Association recommendations for operationalizing the detection of cognitive impairment during the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit in a primary care setting. Alzheimers Dement 2013;9(2):147. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jalz.2012.09.011; with permission.