SPMSQ Calculator
Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (Pfeiffer) – screening tool for organic brain deficit in older adults.
Patient education level (for score adjustment)
Record SPMSQ item errors
For each question, select whether the patient’s response was correct or incorrect.
SPMSQ (Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire) is a brief, 10-item cognitive screening tool developed by Eric Pfeiffer in 1975 to help clinicians quickly detect possible organic brain deficit in older adults. It can be administered in outpatient, inpatient, or community settings and is designed to be simple enough for use by any trained health worker. PubMed+1
The SPMSQ focuses on orientation, memory, and basic calculation, using questions such as the current date, place, the patient’s age and date of birth, the current and previous presidents, the mother’s maiden name, and a short counting task. Each incorrect answer is counted as an error; the total number of errors is then compared with established thresholds to categorize the level of cognitive impairment. Geriatrics+1
Standard interpretation (before education adjustment) is: Geriatrics+1
- 0–2 errors – Normal mental functioning
- 3–4 errors – Mild cognitive impairment
- 5–7 errors – Moderate cognitive impairment
- 8 or more errors – Severe cognitive impairment
Because education can affect performance, Pfeiffer recommended adjusting the interpretation by allowing one extra error for people with grade-school education or less, and allowing one fewer error for those with more than high-school education. Geriatrics+1
The SPMSQ is only a screening tool:
- A “normal” score does not fully rule out cognitive impairment.
- An “abnormal” score should prompt further assessment (e.g., detailed neuropsychological testing, evaluation for delirium, depression, sensory impairment, medication effects, etc.). ResearchGate+1
