The objective of this analysis was to determine
the relationship, if any, of head size to
performance on a cognitive screening test among
elderly nondemented adults participating in a
community-based survey. The study sample included
825 subjects (533 women, 292 men), age 70 to 95
years. Multivariate analyses, with adjustment for
age and education, revealed that smaller head size
was associated with low Mini-Mental State
Examination (MMSE) scores (i.e., below the 10th
percentile) in both men and women. For every
1-centimeter increment in head size, there was a
corresponding reduction of approximately 20% in
the probability of a low MMSE score.