OBJECTIVE: To define mini-mental state examination (MMSE) global scores, by age and education in elderly in Santo Antônio de Pádua, Rio de Janeiro,Brazil. METHOD: Elderly > 65 years-old (n=341; m=109, f=232) responded to MMSE. Sample was divided by age and education: young old (65-84 years)/oldest old (>85 years), illiterates, low/medium schooling. MMSE scores were compared using t test of Student, Mann-Whitney and Tukey (p<0.05). RESULTS: Young and oldest old's mean age were 73.13 ± 5.27; 88.00 ± 4.90, respectively. Young old MMSE score was 19.91 ± 5.35 and oldest old was 16.90 ± 4.96. There was a significant difference between the groups (p=0.01). Illiterate and educated elderly scored 17.08 ± 4.42 and 22.34 ± 4.94, respectively (p<0.0001). Illiterate and educated young old (age=73.61 ± 5.26; 72.67 ± 5.26) scored 17.29 ± 4.40 and 22.42 ± 4.98, respectively. MMSE shows significant difference between groups of young old (p<0.0001). MMSE of illiterate and educated oldest old (age=86.50 ± 1.09; 90.25 ± 7.34) were 14.33 ± 3.89 and 20.75 ± 3.85, respectively. CONCLUSION: Schooling and age influence on MMSE. These results do not compare with those of developed countries taking education as a variable.
elderly; MMSE; epidemiology
