[MMSE for survival prognostics in dementia].

OBJECTIVE

Evaluation of the predictive power of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) for survival analyses of dementia patients.

METHODS

In an 8-year follow-up study for 145 dementia outpatients the survival and relative death risks (hazard ratios) were calculated with Kaplan Meier and Cox-regression analyses.

RESULTS

Following Cox-regression the relative death risk increases by 36.2 % per severity level of dementia (mild / moderate / severe), p = 0.023. Per single MMSE point lost, the relative death risk rises by 4.1 % (p = 0.005). Kaplan Meier analysis supports the result.

CONCLUSIONS

MMSE scores may in fact be used for dementia survival prognoses in counseling family and professional caregivers of dementia patients, but also for socioeconomic management of the increasing dementia burden for society.