The Mini-Cog is a very brief, 3 minute assessment used to screen for dementia. It can be widely used in patients with various language backgrounds and education levels. It is comparable to the MMSE, and in fact has fewer false positives.
The Mini-Cog helps is a screening test to detect cognitive impairment in older adults, and can be used in both healthcare and community settings.
Ask the patient to listen carefully to 3 unrelated words, and have them repeat 3 the unrelated words and commit them to memory.
The clock drawing is considered normal if the numbers on the clock are in correct sequence, and the hands readably display the requested time.
The patient is requested to recall the 3 words from memory.
The Mini-Cog can be interpreted in a step-wise fashion (see Table as well):
| 3/3 words recalled | 2/3 words recalled | 1/3 words recalled | 0/3 words recalled | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal clock | Negative screen | Negative screen | Negative screen | Positive screen |
| Abnormal clock | Negative screen | Positive screen | Positive screen | Positive screen |
The clock drawing may be difficult for individuals who do not have a regular exposure to analog clocks, lack of experience in drawing or writing, and in those with low education.