More about the 3MS - Modified Mini Mental State Test
The Modified Mini-Mental State (3MS) Test is a brief, 15-question screening measure used to detect cognitive impairment and dementia, as well as to monitor cognitive change across the course of disease. The 3MS typically takes about 10 minutes to administer and allows healthcare professionals and researchers to identify possible cognitive impairment and determine whether further evaluation is warranted. Clinically, the 3MS is used to identify mild cognitive impairment (MCI), dementia, and to track longitudinal changes in cognitive functioning. In research, it is widely used to define population samples and apply standardized cut-off scores for cognitive classification.
The 3MS was developed at the University of Southern California by Drs. Evelyn Teng and Helen Chui and first published in 1987. It expands upon the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) by: (1) extending the scoring range from 0–30 to 0–100, using graded scoring and four additional items that reduce ceiling effects and broaden domain coverage; (2) demonstrating stronger reliability and validity in both community and clinical samples; (3) including additional cognitive domains, such as executive function, visuospatial ability, and delayed recall, without substantially increasing administration time; (4) offering greater sensitivity to change for longitudinal or follow-up assessment; (5) providing normative data stratified by age, education, and population characteristics to enhance interpretability; and (6) maintaining the practical advantages of brief administration and straightforward scoring.
