A prospective study of patients with moderate (n = 20) and severe (n =
19) dementia of the Alzheimer type was performed to compare the abili
ty of patients to recognize themselves. A Mini-Mental State Examinatio
n cut-off score was used to separate those patients with severe dement
ia (MMSE score <6) from those with moderate dementia (MMSE = 7 - 15).
Each patient was then scored according to his ability to name two body
parts correctly and to recognize himself in a mirror. Severe degrees
of dementia were significantly associated with the inability of patien
ts to recognize themselves while those with moderate degrees of dement
ia still retained this capacity.