Middlesex Elderly Assessment of Mental State (MEAMS)

Middlesex Elderly Assessment of Mental State (MEAMS) Evelyn Golding

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  Age Range: Adult


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  Administration: Individual – 10 minutes


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  Screen for gross impairment of cognitive skills in the elderly

The Middlesex Elderly Assessment of Mental State (MEAMS) has become the benchmark screening test to detect gross impairment of specific cognitive skills in elderly people. It is designed to assist assessors to differentiate between functional illnesses and organically based cognitive impairments.

The test items are sensitive to the functioning of different areas of the brain, each responsible for a different mental capacity. In short, the MEAMS will not tell you how intelligent a person is, but will tell you whether there is reason to suspect that parts of the brain are working less efficiently than they should, and consequently whether or not it is necessary to recommend that the subject be investigated more thoroughly.

Unlike a number of simple screening tests, for example, those intended to detect dementia, the MEAMS systematically surveys the major areas of cognitive performance using a comprehensive range of subtests. The test is simple to administer and score, and can be completed in approximately ten minutes. It includes two parallel versions to allow for repeated testing.

The 12 subtests cover the following areas of functioning:

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  orientation


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  memory


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  new learning


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  naming


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  comprehension


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  arithmetic


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  visuo-spatial skills


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  perception


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  fluency


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  motor perseveration

Complete kit: Includes manual, 2 stimulus books and 25 scoring