AMTS

Question 1

What is the AMTS?

Answer 1

10-point assessment that was introduced by Hodkinson in 1972 to rapidly assess elderly patients for the possibility of dementia

• Today it is used as screening for both delirium and dementia

Question 2

What 10 questions form the AMTS?

Answer 2

1. “What is your age?”
2. “What is the time to the nearest hour?”
3. Give the patient an address, and ask them to repeat it at the end of the test (e.g. “42 West Street”)
4. “What is the year?”
5. “What is the name of this place?” or “What is your house number?”
6. Can the patient recognise two persons (e.g. doctor, nurse)?
7. “What is your date of birth?” (day and month sufficient)
8. “In what year did World War 1 begin?”
9. “Name the present monarch/prime minister”
10. “Count backwards from 20 down to 1”

Question 3

How should an AMTS score be interpreted?

Answer 3

Score of 6 or less suggests delirium or dementia, although further tests are required to confirm the diagnosis