MMSE - Mini-Mental State Examination Recall of Words Questions and Answers

Question 1

A patient is asked to recall the three words from earlier in the MMSE. They correctly state "apple" and "table," but then pause. The examiner provides a category cue, "It was a type of money." The patient then correctly says "penny." How should the examiner score this section?

Accepted Answer

2 points

Answer

The score for the recall section is based on the number of words recalled spontaneously without any cues. In this scenario, the patient recalled "apple" and "table" on their own, earning 2 points. The word "penny" was recalled only after a cue, so it does not count towards the score.

Question 2

What is the maximum possible score a patient can receive for the "Recall of Words" section of the MMSE?

Accepted Answer

3 points

Answer

The "Recall of Words" section assesses delayed recall for three specific words learned earlier in the examination. One point is awarded for each word correctly recalled, resulting in a maximum possible score of 3.

Question 3

Which of the following cognitive functions is the primary focus of the "Recall of Words" task in the MMSE?

Accepted Answer

Short-term verbal memory

Answer

This task specifically tests the patient's ability to retrieve information after a delay and intervening tasks (Attention/Calculation). This is a measure of short-term, or delayed, verbal memory. Immediate registration was tested in a separate, earlier section of the exam.

Question 4

During the administration of the MMSE, after the attention and language sections, the examiner asks the patient, "What were the three words I asked you to remember earlier?" The patient responds, "I'm sorry, I don't remember you asking me any words." What is the score for the recall section?

Accepted Answer

0

Answer

The score is based on the number of words correctly recalled. If the patient cannot recall any of the words, even the instruction to remember them, the score for this section is 0.

Question 5

An examiner is administering the recall portion of the MMSE. The patient correctly recalls one word but cannot recall the other two, even after being encouraged to try. What is the most appropriate next step for the examiner?

Accepted Answer

Record the score of 1 and proceed to the next section of the exam.

Answer

According to standardized MMSE administration protocol, if a patient cannot recall all the words, the examiner should score the attempt based on the number of correct, un-cued words (1 point in this case) and move on to the next part of the test. Cues are not given for scoring purposes, and the words are not retaught at this stage.

MMSE - Mini-Mental State Examination Practice Test

MMSE - Mini-Mental State Examination Practice Test

MMSE - Mini-Mental State Examination Recall of Words Questions and Answers