Review of normative data for common screening measures used to evaluate cognitive functioning in elderly individuals.

When conducting neuropsychological evaluations of the elderly, it is important to compare patients' test scores to appropriate normative data to maximize diagnostic and descriptive accuracy. Many sets of normative data are now available for screening measures that assess cognitive functioning in the elderly. This article systematically reviewed available norms for 6 widely used screening measures of cognitive functioning in elderly patients. Details regarding the sample characteristics and data collection methods are provided for each set of norms, thereby providing a useful reference for clinicians.