Pros and Cons of Screening Tools for Assessing Dementia

Working with older adults as a speech-language pathologist for a rehab company, I often assess patients on their cognitive function. I will deal more in-depth on how and why determining cognitive function helps guide my treatment strategies in an upcoming post. For this first article, however, I wanted to discuss the first steps. The first step I take in determining a person’s cognitive status involves using a standardized evaluation. I like three tests: the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and Saint Louis University Mental Status (SLUMS) exam. Quick, easy to use, and readily available online for free, each of these screens provides different psychometric properties, organization, and administration. In other words, each one offers its own set of pros and cons. These screening tools aren’t designed to diagnose cognitive functioning, but SLPs can use them to determine if a person’s cognitive function warrants further testing. In the next article for this two-part series, I’ll discuss why it’s important to gather information regarding possible dementia and how to use this information. Here are the advantages and disadvantages to consider for each screening tool: The MMSE takes about 10 minutes to administer. You can find versions translated and validated for many languages, including Persian, Greek, Italian, Chinese, Arabic, and Spanish. This screen assesses several areas—orientation, immediate memory, short-term memory, a...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Tags: Academia & Research Health Care Private Practice Slider Speech-Language Pathology dementia Source Type: blogs