Evaluating the Performance of the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination for Children (MMSEc) to Screen for Intellectual Disability in Children With and Without Epilepsy.

This article evaluates the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination for Children (MMSEc) as a screening tool for intellectual disabilities in children aged 6-14 years with epilepsy, comparing its scores to Full-Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ) results. In a study of 56 children with epilepsy and 56 controls without neurological disorders, MMSEc scores showed a strong positive correlation with FSIQ (Spearman r = 0.873; P < .001) and demonstrated high specificity (100%) and good sensitivity (77.08%) for identifying intellectual disability (FSIQ <70). The MMSEc, which is brief and easy to administer, identified abnormal cognitive scores in 66.1% of children with epilepsy, suggesting its potential utility as a rapid screening tool, especially in resource-limited settings. The study notes limitations including sample selection bias and the need for further validation across diverse populations and longitudinal assessments.