Itel MMSE: a short phone screening test for cognitive decline. Italian Validation study by the SINdem Neuropsychology Working Group

Introduction The Italian telephone-based Mini-Mental State Examination (Itel-MMSE) is considered a very easy tool for screening individuals with dementia, gained importance during COVID-19, but lacks validation and faces a ceiling effect. Aim In the present study, we conducted a study standardizing and validating it, establishing cut-off values for two versions. Methods Across 24 Italian sites, 707 healthy individuals (50–89 years, men: 268, women: 439) with diverse educational levels (3–24 years) were recruited. Subjects met criteria for normal conditions investigated through a semi-structured interview covering neurological, psychiatric, general medical, and psychopharmacological history. Two test versions were created to assess test–retest reliability at 45-day intervals. We also enrolled 187 subjects with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and 181 with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) for validation. The raw scores obtained on both versions of Itel-MMSE were set as dependent variables in linear regression models that included age, education, and gender as independent variables. Results Mean raw Itel-MMSE1 score was 20.82 (range: 13–22). Multiple linear regression demonstrated significant effects of sociodemographic variables for age and education, establishing a new cut-off ≥ 18.49. Mean raw Itel-MMSE2 score was 20.97 (range: 10–22), with a new cut-off ≥ 18.45. Validation showed high informative values, with areas under the curve (AUCs) for MCI and AD conditions and both versions (Itel-MMSE1: MCI AUC = 0.801, AD AUC = 0.907; Itel-MMSE2: MCI AUC = 0.827, AD AUC = 0.977). Conclusion The Itel-MMSE proves valuable as a screening method for detecting and monitoring dementia in remote phone screenings, with different cut-offs aiding MCI patient identification in clinical settings.