Screening devices for diminished cognitive capacity

This study compares three commonly used tests to detect organic mental disorders: the Mini-Mental State (MMS), Cognitive Capacity Screening Examination (CCSE), and Tachistoscope (T-Scope). Ninety-seven medical-surgical inpatients at the Mount Sinai Hospital referred for psychiatric consultation had a Missouri Mental Status Examination performed by a psychiatrist who also rated the patients' organic mental disorder as "none", "mild", "moderate", or "severe". The CCSE, MMS, and T-Scope, respectively, showed: sensitivity - 0.54, 0.52, 0.68; specificity - 0.85, 0.76, 0.79; and positive predictive value - 0.83, 0.74, 0.79. False negatives occurred more often among those patients with mild organic mental disorders with all instruments (p = 0.05), while the T-Scope could not be administered in 27% of the patients. Screening instruments with increased acceptability, sensitivity, and specificity need to be developed to identify a potentially life-threatening disorder.