Title of Assessment
Saint Louis University Mental Status (SLUMS)
Author(s)
Nina Tumosa, PhD; John Chibnall, PhD; Mitchell Perry, III, MD; and John Morley, MD
Year of Publication/Publisher
2006/ Saint Louis University School of Medicine Division of Geriatric Medicine
Identify Type of Assessment
Standardized
screening questionnaire measure
physiological
Cost & How to Access Assessment
Free
Population
Older adults
Appropriate age 75.3 years old
Generally used with Veterans Affairs geriatric population
Appropriate Settings
Seated at a table in a quiet room
Purpose of Assessment & Function(s)/Area(s) Assessed
Purpose: The SLUMS exam is a clinician-administered examination used to identify if an individual has an early onset of dementia or mild neurocognitive impairment.
Function/Areas Assessed: Attention & Working Memory, Cognition, Executive Functioning, Language, Mental Health, and Reasoning/Problem Solving
Administration
4-10 minutes
15 minutes including administration and scoring
Done individually
User Qualifications
Qualified healthcare professional
Watch the training course
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4ctoWU-qzw
Materials Required
One-page SLUMS assessment form
pencil/pen
Scoring Procedure
The test is out of 30 points. It is an 11-question screening questionnaire. The two different scoring structures are based on what level of education is received.
For individuals who have not completed a high school education:
25-30 = indicates regular cognitive function
20-24 = indicated mild cognitive impairment
1-19 = indicates dementia
For individuals who have completed a high school education:
27-30 = indicates regular cognitive function
21-26 = indicated mild cognitive impairment
0-20 = indicates dementia
Psychometrics/Standardization
Reliability: None published
Validity: Concurrent validity based on comparing the SLUMS to the MMSE. The two predicted mortality and institutionalization for male patients screened as positive for dementia.
Strengths & Weaknesses of Assessment
Strengths:
Focuses on finding the early signs of dementia
Free of cost
Quick assessment
No extensive materials required
Can be administered in multiple languages
Weaknesses:
No published reliability
May not be as sensitive as the MMSE
Possible disadvantages on the efficiency of the test
References
Farnsworth, C. (2022, December 8). What to know about the slums test for dementia. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/s-l-u-m-s-test#purpose
Saint Louis University Mental Status Exam. Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. (2019, May 15). https://www.sralab.org/rehabilitation-measures/saint-louis-university-mental-status-exam
YouTube. (2015, February 11). VA Saint Louis University Mental Status (slums) examination. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4ctoWU-qzw