Lab: mental status

Question 1

Orientation

Answer 1

ask patient to say name, location and date

Question 2

Level of alertness

Answer 2

Ask patient to:

• spell a word and backward
• repeat string of integers forward and backward
• say months of year forward and backward

Question 3

Memory

Answer 3

recent: ask patient to recall three items after 5 minutes
remote: recent historical facts
e. g. Where did you go to high school?

Question 4

Language

Answer 4

Object naming: 3 objects
Repetition: repeat a sentence
Reading: ask patient to read a sentence

Question 5

Calculation

Answer 5

2+2+2

Question 6

Apraxia

Answer 6

follow a complex motor command e.g. brush your hair

Question 7

Sequencing tasks

Answer 7

rock, paper, scissors on table as fast as possible

Question 8

abstraction

Answer 8

interprete a proverb