Comparison of two screening tests in Alzheimer's disease. The correlation and reliability of the Mini-Mental State Examination and the modified Blessed test.

The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Blessed Orientation-Memory-Concentration test (BOMC), a six-item derivative of the Blessed Information-Memory-Concentration Test, were each administered to 36 patients with a clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. In 24 patients, both tests were readministered a month later. The correlation between the MMSE and BOMC was -0.83 with a test-retest correlation of 0.89 (MMSE) and 0.77 (BOMC). Factor analysis indicated that the multiple MMSE cognitive components could be explained by two factors, which together accounted for 66% of the variance. These factors are conceptually similar to the components of the BOMC, and so may explain the substantial correlation between the two tests. Since these cognitive status tests seem to be equivalent for Alzheimer patients, the briefer measure (BOMC), which offers additional advantages, may be preferred.

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