COGNITIVE-FUNCTIONING AND SURVIVAL IN PSYCHOGERIATRIC PATIENTS

The relationship between cognitive functioning and survival was studied among 92 people referred to a psychogeriatric assessment unit. A follow-up 4-5 years later showed that the nonsurvivors initially had lower scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) than the survivors. The differences were greatest among individuals with nondementia diagnosis. Survival curves showed that about 50% of those who scored less-than-or-equal-to 19 on MMSE had died within 2 years but more than 60 % of those who scored greater-than-or-equal-to 20 were still alive 4-5 years after the initial assessment.