The Maudsley Mentation test: a method for extended monitoring of mental status after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

A new scale for the repeated, rapid assessment of mental function in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage is described. Its reproducibility is evaluated and early experience with its use in the intended clinical setting is reported. The test (Maudsley Mentation Test) proved to be more sensitive to fluctuations in cerebral functioning than existing measures of conscious level, and the results were reproducible among observers with different backgrounds (surgeons, nurses, and psychologists). The results suggest a relationship between performance on mentation testing and quality of outcome. The Maudsley Mentation Test is thought to offer a suitable measure with which to monitor patients during the acute phase of their illness to supplement clinical assessment and provide evidence of deterioration at an early stage. It is also potentially useful as an end point in acute protection and treatment studies.