The Mini-Cog assessment instrument combines an uncued 3-item recall test with a clock-drawing test (CDT) that serves as a recall distractor. The Mini-Cog can be administered in about 3 min, requires no special equipment, and is relatively uninfluenced by level of education or language differences.

Administration

The test is administered as follows: 1. Make sure you have the patient's attention. Instruct the patient to listen carefully to and remember 3 unrelated words and then to repeat the words back to you (to be sure the patient heard them).

2. Instruct the patient to draw the face of a clock, either on a blank sheet of paper, or on a sheet with the clock circle already drawn on the page. After the patient puts the numbers on the clock face, ask him or her to draw the hands of the clock to read a specific time (11:10 and 8:20 are most commonly used and more sensitive than some others). These instructions can be repeated, but no additional instructions should be given. If the patient cannot complete the CDT in 3 min, move on to the next step.

3. Ask the patient to repeat the 3 previously presented words.

Scoring

Give 1 point for each recalled word after the CDT distractor. Score 0–3 for recall.

Give 2 points for a normal CDT, and 0 points for an abnormal CDT. The CDT is considered normal if all numbers are depicted, once each, in the correct sequence and position, and the hands readably display the requested time. Add the recall and CDT scores together to get the Mini-Cog Score: • 0–2 indicates positive screen for dementia.

• 3–5 indicates negative screen for dementia.