A retrospective analysis of the sentence writing component of the Mini Mental State Examination: cognitive and affective aspects.

BACKGROUND One of the components of the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) is the request to write a sentence. We investigated the relationship between the characteristics of the written sentence of the MMSE and the cognitive and affective status of elderly patients. METHODS The characteristics of the sentence were compared to the total MMSE score, sociodemographic characteristics, tests evaluating cognition and affective status, and diagnoses. RESULTS The number of words was significantly associated with the degree of cognitive impairment, whereas the emotional polarity of sentences and concerns about health were associated with depression. CONCLUSIONS Characteristics of the MMSE sentence may provide important additional information regarding both cognition and affect when assessing older people.