What is a normal dementia score?

A score of 24 or higher on a common cognitive screening tool, such as the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), is generally considered a normal score, indicating that dementia is not present according to this measure. A perfect score on such an assessment is 30 points.

Understanding Cognitive Screening Scores

Cognitive assessments are valuable tools used to evaluate an individual's mental functioning and screen for potential cognitive impairments like dementia. These tests typically assess areas such as orientation, attention, memory, language, and visuospatial skills.

When interpreting scores from these assessments, particularly the MMSE, the following guidelines are commonly applied:

• Perfect Cognitive Function: A score of 30 points signifies perfect performance on the assessment.
• Recommended Cutoff for Dementia: A score of 24 points is widely recognized and frequently used as the cutpoint to differentiate between cognitive normality and the presence of dementia.
• Indication of Dementia: A score of 23 points or lower typically indicates the presence of dementia.

It is important to note that while these cutoffs are well-established for identifying dementia, consistently defined cutoff scores for lesser forms of impairment, such as mild cognitive impairment, have not been universally adopted or implemented.

Score Interpretation Table

The following table summarizes the general interpretation of scores from a common cognitive screening tool like the MMSE:

These scores provide a quick and standardized way to assess cognitive status, serving as a vital step in the diagnostic process for conditions affecting memory and thinking.