Family Nurse Practitioner Exam

In the Mini Mental Status Exam, having a patient recall the words "orange," "house," and "world" assesses which cognitive function?

1. Language skills

2. Short-term memory

3. Attention span

4. Judgment ability

The correct answer is: Short-term memory

The Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE) includes a variety of tasks designed to assess a patient's cognitive functions. When a patient is asked to recall specific words—such as "orange," "house," and "world"—this task primarily evaluates their short-term memory. Short-term memory is the ability to temporarily hold and manipulate information over a brief period. In this scenario, the patient is required to listen to the words, retain them for a few moments, and then recall them after a brief interval. The effectiveness of this recall indicates the patient’s capability to store and retrieve information, which is a critical aspect of short-term memory function. Other cognitive functions like language skills pertain to the ability to comprehend or produce speech, attention span involves the ability to focus on tasks, and judgment ability relates to decision-making and understanding consequences. While all of these aspects are important in a comprehensive assessment, in this case, the act of recalling the specified words directly tests the patient's short-term memory capability.