A Guttman Scale to Assess Memory Loss Among the Elderly

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Abstract
A modification of the Mental Status Questionnaire using questions requiring the recall of basic memory is described. After interviewing 254 elderly people, the responses to six questions were found to meet the criteria for Guttman scaling, and each respondent was assigned a score which characterized the extent of his memory loss. After a 14-month-follow-up, it was found that a statistically significant proportion of the low scores, i.e., those with more memory loss, had died. The technique described is useful for comparing respondents' extent of memory loss both to assess high risk groups and to evaluate gains made from specific remotivation programs.

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