Which tests are commonly used to assess attention during the MSE?

• A. Digit span forward and backward
• B. Serial sevens
• C. Spelling World backwards
• D. All of the above

Answer: (D)

Attention is the ability to focus and sustain mental effort, a key part of the Mental Status Exam. To probe it, clinicians use tasks that require holding and manipulating information and maintaining concentration. Digit span asks you to repeat a sequence of digits, with the forward version measuring basic attention and the backward version requiring more working memory and control. Serial sevens challenges sustained attention and mental calculation by having you continuously subtract sevens from a starting point, which taxes concentration over a sequence. Spelling a word backwards tests attention as well as working memory and language, since you must attend to the instruction, hold the target word in memory, and reverse the letters.

Because each task taps different aspects of attention and concentration, all of them are commonly used in the MSE. So the best choice is that all of the above tests are used to assess attention.