Subtle cognitive impairment in elders with Mini-Mental State Examination scores within the 'normal' range.

Objective: The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) is commonly used as a screening test for dementia, yet MMSE scores above the cut-off for dementia (24-30) are widely thought to have limited utility, particularly in older persons. The study investigates whether scores within this range can be indicative of pre-symptomatic levels of cognitive impairment.

Methods: Ninety-six community-dwelling older persons aged 62-89  years (mean = 75.

Impaired perceptual judgment at low blood alcohol concentrations.

Males and females show different patterns of cognitive impairment when blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) are high. To investigate whether gender differences persist at low BACs, cognitive impairment was tested in 21 participants (11 female, 10 male) using a brief computerized perceptual judgment task that provides error rate and response time data. Participants consumed a measured dose of alcohol (average peak BAC: females: 0.