Registration of Words Flashcards
7 cards from real MMSE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Registration of Words flashcards as text
During MMSE registration, a patient repeats only 2 of the 3 words on the first attempt. What is the registration score?
Answer: 2
The registration score equals the number of words correctly repeated on the first trial, so 2 correct words = a score of 2.
Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of the registration task in the MMSE?
Answer: To establish words in short-term memory for later recall testing
Registration introduces the three words into short-term memory so that delayed recall can be tested later in the exam.
After presenting the three words for registration, the examiner asks the patient to repeat them. The patient says them in a different order but all three are correct. How should this be scored?
Answer: 3, all three words are credited
The MMSE does not require words to be repeated in order; all three correct words earn a full score of 3 regardless of sequence.
How many times may the examiner repeat the three words during the registration phase if the patient fails to recall all of them on the first trial?
Answer: Up to 6 additional times
Standard MMSE administration allows the examiner to repeat the words up to 6 times to ensure learning, but only the first trial is scored.
A patient with severe attention deficits scores 0 on registration. Which of the following is the most likely explanation?
Answer: The patient could not sustain attention long enough to encode any of the three words
Attention is required to encode information into short-term memory; severe attentional deficits can prevent successful registration of any words.
Why is it important that the examiner speaks clearly and at a moderate pace when presenting the registration words?
Answer: To ensure the patient can hear and encode each word accurately
Clear, paced delivery ensures that sensory and perceptual factors do not prevent proper encoding of the words.
The three words used in MMSE registration are typically chosen to be semantically unrelated. What is the clinical rationale for this choice?
Answer: To prevent semantic clustering from artificially inflating the score
Using semantically unrelated words prevents the patient from using associative strategies that would make recall easier and less diagnostic.