Saint Louis University Mental Status

Aka: Saint Louis University Mental Status, SLUMS

1. Advantages: Compared with MMSE
   1. Free for clinical use
      1. In contrast, MMSE was initially taught as a free, gold standard exam in medical school
      2. Later required a fee for clinical use
   2. Identifies mild cognitive disorders
      1. In contrast, MMSE is often normal in mild cognitive disorders, especially with college education
2. Criteria: 11 Questions for a total of 30 points
   1. Orientation: 3 (day of the week, year, U.S. state)
      1. Assign 1 point for each correct (3 points total)
   2. Memory: Remember 5 objects (Apple, Pen, Tie, House, Car)
      1. Assign 5 points on correct recall
   3. Calculation: Start with $100 and spend $3, then $20; how much is spent and how much remains
      1. Assign 2 points for $77
   4. Name as many animals as possible in 5 minutes
      1. Assign 3 points for 15 or more, 2 points for 10 or more, 1 point for 5 or more
   5. Reverse number sequences (87, 649, 8537)
      1. Assign 1 point for 946 and 1 point for 7358
   6. Given a clock face, write the hour markers 1-12 and place the hands on the clock at 10 minutes to eleven
      1. Assign 1 point for correct markers and 1 point for correct time
   7. From 3 shapes (square, triangle, rectangle), choose the triangle and choose the largest
      1. Assign 1 point for each of the 2 tasks
   8. A brief story is read and patient answers four questions about it
      1. Assign 2 points for each of the 4 questions
3. Interpretation: High School Education
   1. Normal: 27-30
   2. Mild Neurocognitive Disorder (MNCD): 21-26
   3. Dementia: <21
4. Interpretation: Less than High School Education
   1. Normal: 25-30
   2. Mild Neurocognitive Disorder (MNCD): 20-24
   3. Dementia: <20
5. Resources
   1. Saint Louis University Mental Status (SLUMS) PDF
      1. http://medschool.slu.edu/agingsuccessfully/pdfsurveys/slumsexam_05.pdf
6. References
   1. Tariq (2006) Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 14(11): 900-10. [PubMed]