Abbreviated mental test score

Overview
The abbreviated mental test score (AMTS) was introduced by Hodkinson in 1972 to rapidly assess elderly patients for the possibility of dementia. Its uses in medicine have become somewhat wider, e.g. to assess for confusion, although it has mainly been validated in the elderly.

The following questions are put to the patient. Each question correctly answered scores one point. A score of less than 6 suggests dementia, although further and more formal tests are necessary to confirm the diagnosis.

An alternative to the AMTS is the 30 point mini-mental state examination (MMSE).