Registration of Words Flashcards

A patient with moderate hearing loss misses one of the three registration words due to poor auditory acuity. How should the examiner proceed?

Answer: Repeat the missed word louder or use a hearing amplifier, then proceed with the standard protocol

Sensory accommodations such as speaking louder or using amplification devices are appropriate to ensure hearing loss does not confound the memory assessment.

In the context of MMSE registration, what does 'encoding' refer to?

Answer: The neural process of taking in and forming a memory trace for the presented words

Encoding is the cognitive process by which new information is converted into a memory trace that can later be stored and retrieved.

Which MMSE section is directly dependent on successful performance in the registration section?

Answer: Delayed word recall

Delayed word recall tests whether the patient can retrieve the exact three words introduced during registration; a failure to register them makes recall impossible.

A demented patient requires all 6 repetition trials during registration and still only learns 2 of 3 words. Which statement best characterizes this performance?

Answer: It suggests significant short-term memory impairment that warrants further evaluation

Needing multiple trials to learn fewer than three words is clinically significant and consistent with short-term memory impairment requiring further evaluation.

Which of the following best explains why the three MMSE registration words are presented at a rate of approximately one per second?

Answer: To keep each word in the phonological loop long enough for initial encoding without excessive rehearsal time

A paced presentation keeps each word in working memory's phonological loop while limiting the opportunity for elaborative rehearsal that could confound the test.

A patient correctly repeats the three registration words and then, unprompted, repeats them aloud three more times. What effect does this have on the registration score?

Answer: The score remains 3/3; additional repetitions do not add or subtract points

The registration score is fixed at the number of words correctly repeated on the first trial; spontaneous additional repetitions do not alter the score.

Which statement accurately compares MMSE registration to a digit span forward task?

Answer: Both assess the same type of verbal short-term memory but registration uses words while digit span uses numbers

Both tasks tap verbal short-term memory and phonological loop capacity, but they differ in stimulus type (words vs. digits) and in scoring structure.