A number of tests can assess mental status. A common one used is called “Mini-Mental State Examination.” It was written by M.S. Folstein, S.E. Folstein, and P.R. McHugh. Adapted from this examination are the questions that follow. They were taken from “Working With Your Older Patient: A Clinician’s Handbook” by B. Gaskel, Bethesda, MD: National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health.