Physical examination maneuver
Physical Exam
Mental Status Assessment
also known as Mental status examination
🎬
Video coming September 2026
How to Perform
Through conversation and targeted tasks, assess the domains of the mental status examination: level of consciousness and arousal; appearance and behavior; attention (for example, spelling "world" backwards); orientation to person, place, and time; memory (immediate, recent, and remote); language (fluency, naming, repetition, comprehension); and higher cognitive functions (calculation, abstraction, and judgment). Standardized instruments may be used to score cognition.
How to Interpret
Showing 22 of 25 findings
Cirrhosis
Encephalopathy
Rule in
Very helpful
Rule out
Not helpful
Evidence:Strong
Delirium
Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU (CAM-ICU) positive in an ICU patient
Rule in
Very helpfulDerived CI
Rule out
Somewhat helpfulDerived CI
Evidence:Strong
4 "A"s Test (4AT) score greater than 3 positive
Rule in
HelpfulDerived CI
Rule out
HelpfulDerived CI
Evidence:Strong
Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) positive
Rule in
Helpful
Rule out
Helpful
Evidence:Strong
Disorientation to time, place, or person
Rule in
Somewhat helpfulDerived CI
Rule out
HelpfulDerived CI
Evidence:Limited
Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist (ICDSC) score ≥4
Rule in
Somewhat helpfulDerived CI
Rule out
Somewhat helpfulDerived CI
Evidence:Strong
Single Question in Delirium (SQID) positive
Rule in
Somewhat helpfulDerived CI
Rule out
Minimally helpfulDerived CI
Evidence:Limited
Dementia
Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised (ACE-R) total score less than 88 positive
Rule in
HelpfulDerived CI
Rule out
Very helpfulDerived CI
Evidence:Strong
Mini-Cog score less than or equal to 2 (out of 5) positive in adults 60 or over
Rule in
HelpfulDerived CI
Rule out
Very helpfulDerived CI
Evidence:Limited
Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score less than 24 positive in adults 65 or over
Rule in
HelpfulDerived CI
Rule out
HelpfulDerived CI
Evidence:Limited
Abbreviated Mental Test Score (AMTS/AMT-10, or AMT-4) below threshold
Rule in
HelpfulNo CI
Rule out
Somewhat helpfulNo CI
Evidence:LimitedResearch in progress
Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score less than 26 positive
Rule in
Somewhat helpfulDerived CI
Rule out
HelpfulDerived CI
Evidence:Strong
Abnormal clock-drawing test
Rule in
Somewhat helpfulDerived CI
Rule out
Somewhat helpfulDerived CI
Evidence:Strong
Head-turning sign
Rule in
Somewhat helpfulDerived CI
Rule out
Somewhat helpfulDerived CI
Evidence:Limited
Hypovolemia
Confusion
Rule in
InconclusiveWide CI
Rule out
InconclusiveWide CI
Evidence:Limited
Major Depressive Disorder
Whooley 2-question screen positive
Rule in
Somewhat helpfulDerived CI
Rule out
Very helpfulDerived CI
Evidence:Strong
Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) score ≥10
Rule in
HelpfulDerived CI
Rule out
HelpfulDerived CI
Evidence:Strong
Geriatric Depression Scale 15-item short form (GDS-15) score ≥5
Rule in
Somewhat helpfulDerived CI
Rule out
HelpfulDerived CI
Evidence:Strong
Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) score ≥3
Rule in
Somewhat helpfulDerived CI
Rule out
Somewhat helpfulDerived CI
Evidence:Strong
Stroke
Coma / unresponsiveness on level-of-consciousness assessment
Rule in
Helpful
Rule out
—
Evidence:Strong
Mental status alert
Rule in
—
Rule out
Somewhat helpful
Evidence:Strong
Mental status drowsy
Rule in
InconclusiveWide CI
Rule out
—
Evidence:Strong