Saint Louis University Mental Status (SLUMS): https://www.slu.edu/medicine/

Purpose 

The SLUMS test is a screening tool designed to detect early signs of mild cognitive impairment and dementia. It assesses memory, language, executive functions, and more. Detecting dementia in its early stages is critical.

Basic Information

• Title/Author(s):
  Saint Louis University Mental Status Examination (SLUMS)
  Developed by: Syed H. Tariq, M.D., and colleagues at Saint Louis University School of Medicine.
  
  

• Year of Development & Publisher:
  
  

  • Developed and validated in 2006.
    
    

  • Publisher: Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine
    
    

  • Available through: https://www.slu.edu/medicine/internal-medicine/geriatrics/aging-successfully/assessment-tools.php
    
    

Assessment Details

• Identify TWO Types:
  
  

  • Screening tool
    
    

  • Performance-based, criterion-referenced
    
    

• Cost & How to Access:
  
  

  • Cost:
    
    

    • Free for clinical and research use.
      
      

  • Access:
    
    

    • Available as a free download from the Saint Louis University website: SLUMS Assessment Tools
      
      

• Population & Setting:
  
  

  • Population:
    
    

    • Adults, primarily older adults (typically 60 years and older) suspected of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or early dementia.
      
      

  • Settings:
    
    

    • Primary care clinics, geriatric clinics, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, memory centers, and community health settings.
      
      

• Purpose & Areas Assessed:
  
  

  • Purpose:
    
    

    • To quickly assess cognitive function and differentiate between normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia.
      
      

  • Cognitive Domains Assessed:
    
    

    • Orientation
      
      

    • Memory (immediate and delayed recall)
      
      

    • Attention
      
      

    • Executive functioning (problem solving and reasoning)
      
      

    • Language
      
      

    • Visual-spatial ability
      
      

Administration & Scoring

• Administration:
  
  

  • Time Required: Approximately 7–10 minutes.
    
    

  • Format:
    
    

    • Individual administration by a trained health professional using a standardized form and verbal instructions.
      
      

• User Qualifications:
  
  

  • Can be administered by physicians, occupational therapists, psychologists, nurses, or other trained healthcare providers familiar with cognitive assessment.
    
    

• Materials Required:
  
  

  • SLUMS assessment form (free download)
    
    

  • Pen/pencil
    
    

• Scoring:
  
  

  • Total maximum score = 30 points.
    
    

  • Different cutoff scores depending on education level:
    
    

    • With High School Education:
      
      

      • 27–30: Normal
        
        

      • 21–26: Mild neurocognitive disorder (MCI)
        
        

      • 1–20: Dementia
        
        

    • Without High School Education:
      
      

      • 25–30: Normal
        
        

      • 20–24: Mild neurocognitive disorder
        
        

      • 1–19: Dementia
        
        

  • Scoring accounts for educational background to increase clinical sensitivity.
    
    

Psychometrics/Standardization

• Reliability:
  
  

  • Studies report acceptable test-retest reliability for older adult populations.
    
    

  • SLUMS shows better sensitivity for early cognitive changes compared to the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE).
    
    

• Validity:
  
  

  • Demonstrated good validity for detecting mild cognitive impairment and early dementia.
    
    

  • More sensitive than MMSE, particularly for individuals with mild cognitive deficits (Tariq et al., 2006).
    
    

• Norms:
  
  

  • Education-based norms available.
    
    

  • No extensive age-adjusted norms — interpretation requires clinical judgment.
    
    

Critical Thinking Sections

Strengths

• Free and accessible — Available publicly without licensing fees.
  
  

• Sensitive to mild cognitive impairment — Detects early cognitive changes that may be missed by other tools like the MMSE.
  
  

• Quick to administer — Can be completed in under 10 minutes.
  
  

• Accounts for education level — Provides more accurate interpretation across different educational backgrounds.
  
  

• Bilingual versions — Available in both English and Spanish.
  
  

Weaknesses

• Screening tool only — It does not diagnose dementia; further neuropsychological evaluation is needed if impairment is detected.
  
  

• Potential cultural bias — Some items may not be culturally appropriate for all backgrounds.
  
  

• No detailed sub-scores — Only provides a total score, not domain-specific breakdowns.
  
  

• Limited validation for younger adults — Primarily studied in older adult populations.