Cognitive screening test assess verbal fluency moca
(See "Evaluation of cognitive impairment and dementia".) Other aspects of the evaluation of patients with cognitive disorders are also discussed separately. (See "The mental status examination in adults".) The extended mental status examination is presented separately. This topic will specifically review the use of mental status scales, with a particular focus on their use in older adult patients. Referral to neuropsychology often occurs in clinical settings where screening scales and/or the extended mental status examination are not sufficiently conclusive to render a diagnosis. Neuropsychological testing can last up to several hours and can be divided across multiple visits. Formal neuropsychological testing incorporates the most detailed assessments with normative values that can account for a wide range of demographic factors.This assessment can be invaluable in assessing the overall pattern of performance, determining the cognitive domains and brain regions affected, and formulating a differential diagnosis of underlying neuropathology. The experienced examiner can complete this assessment in a single clinical encounter. The extended mental status examination or neurobehavioral status examination includes more detailed assessments and observations regarding a broader range of cognition and behavior and may take 30 minutes to several hours to perform.Compared with neuropsychological testing, mental status scales are limited in relative lack of standardization, normative data, and, in many cases, validation. While they are particularly useful for identifying cognitively impaired individuals who might benefit from more extensive assessments, they provide less insight into which brain areas might be affected or potential underlying etiologies. These tests are designed to efficiently distinguish patients with impaired cognition. Mental status scales are short instruments (≤30 minutes) that assess memory and/or other cognitive domains, with structured administration and scoring and predetermined cutoff scores.It can be divided into three levels of rigor: The cognitive assessment portion of the mental status examination is designed to distinguish between normal and abnormal performance arising across a range of different conditions. While technological advances in neuroimaging have enabled the direct observation of the brain with regards to structure, blood flow, metabolic function, and deposition of abnormal proteins, mental status examination remains critical for clinical diagnosis, patient care, and research. INTRODUCTION - The mental status examination is an important tool for assessing cognitive and behavioral functions.