scholarly journals Depressive Symptoms Negatively Impact Montreal Cognitive Assessment Performance: A Memory Clinic Experience

Author(s):  
Mervin Blair ◽  
Kristy Coleman ◽  
Sarah Jesso ◽  
Véronique Desbeaumes Jodoin ◽  
Kathy Smolewska ◽  
...  

AbstractObjective:The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is a general cognitive screening tool that has shown sensitivity in detecting mild levels of cognitive impairment in various clinical populations. Although mood dysfunction is common in referrals to memory clinics, the influence of mood on the MoCA has to date been largely unexplored.Method:In this study, we examined the impact of mood dysfunction on the MoCA using a memory clinic sample of individuals with depressive symptoms who did not meet criteria for a neurodegenerative disease.Results:Half of the group with depressive symptoms scored below the MoCA-suggested cutoff for cognitive impairment. As a group, they scored below healthy controls, but above individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia. A MoCA subtask analysis revealed a pattern of executive/attentional dysfunction in those with depressive symptoms.Conclusions:This observed negative impact of depressive symptomatology on the MoCA has interpretative implications for its utility as a cognitive screening tool in a memory clinic setting.

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 104-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Larner

The diagnostic accuracy of the short Montreal Cognitive Assessment (s-MoCA), a cognitive screening instrument recently derived by item response theory and computerized adaptive testing from the original MoCA, for the diagnosis of dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) was assessed in 2 patient cohorts referred to a dedicated memory clinic in order to examine the validity and reproducibility of s-MoCA. Diagnosis used standard clinical diagnostic criteria for dementia and MCI as reference standard (prevalence of cognitive impairment = 0.43 and 0.46 in each cohort, respectively). There were significant differences in s-MoCA test scores for dementia, MCI, and subjective memory impairment ( P ≤ .01), and s-MoCA effect sizes (Cohen d) were medium to large (range: 0.65-1.42) for the diagnosis of dementia and MCI. Using the cut-off for s-MoCA specified in the index study, it proved highly sensitive (>0.9) for diagnosis of dementia but with poor specificity (≤0.25), with moderate sensitivity (≥0.75) and specificity (≥0.60) for diagnosis of MCI. In conclusion, in these pragmatic diagnostic test accuracy studies, s-MoCA proved acceptable and sensitive for the diagnosis of cognitive impairment in a memory clinic setting, with a performance similar to that of the original MoCA.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nayyereh Aminisani ◽  
Rasoul alimi ◽  
Ali Javadpour ◽  
Mohhamad Asghari-Jafarabadi ◽  
Mozhgan Jourian ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction:Ageing can cause major changes in the central nervous system of the body, resulting in cognitive decline and associated disorders. Therefore, there is a growing need for an effective cognitive screening method to enhance the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairments and to prevent occurring dementia and Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Our study aimed to compare the accuracy of MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination) and MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment) while evaluating the independent and interaction effects of age and educational level on these screening tools in a healthy sample.Method: The data for the current study was based on the registration phase of the study during 2016-2018 in Neyshabour Longitudinal Study on Ageing (NeLSA). Both the MoCA and MMSE tests were used to assess cognitive decline among 3326 participants aged 50-94 years of old. The ROC curve analysis and the predictive values were performed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of MMSE to discriminate Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) from the cognitively healthy adult basis of MoCA scores as a gold test. A two-way ANCOVA was run to examine the effect of Age and Education level on MoCA and MMSE score, while controlling for a gender effect. Data were analyzed using MedCalc Statistical Software version 13.0.6 (MedCalc Software bvba, Ostend, Belgium; http://www.medcalc.org; 2014). Results: The chi-square test shows that MoCA ((72% and 90%) significantly (p-value<0.001() classified more persons as cognitively impaired than the MMSE (45.1%), respectively; using a cutoff score of 24 on the MMSE, 23 and 26 on the MoCA. The cut-off point of below 25 yielded the highest Youden J index for the MMSE in discrimination between MCI and healthy basis of MOCA<23 with an AUC of 0.9 (95% CI: 0.89-0.91) and MOCA<26 with an AUC of 0.87 (95% CI: 0.86-0.89). A two-way ANCOVA results show that the effect of education variable on the MMSE and MoCA score is more important than the age variable.Discussion: Although the cut-off scores give a clear indication of the sensitivity and specificity, they are unable to monitor the impact of confounders, which increase the risk of incorrect classification. Taken together, these findings demonstrate the use of demographically adjusted MoCA and MMSE scores that could provide clinicians with a more reliable estimation of the severity of cognitive impairment, thus increasing the instrument's clinical usefulness.


2011 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 391-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Larner

ABSTRACTBackground: This aim of this study was to assess the clinical utility of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) as a screening instrument for cognitive impairment in patients referred to a memory clinic, alone and in combination with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE).Methods: This was a pragmatic prospective study of consecutive referrals attending a memory clinic (n = 150) over an 18-month period. Patients were diagnosed using standard clinical diagnostic criteria for dementia (DSM-IV) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI; cognitive impairment prevalence = 43%) independent of MoCA test scores.Results: MoCA proved acceptable to patients and was quick and easy to use. Using the cut-offs for MoCA and MMSE specified in the index paper (≥26/30), MoCA was more sensitive than MMSE (0.97 vs 0.65) but less specific (0.60 vs 0.89), with better diagnostic accuracy (area under Receiver Operating Characteristic curve 0.91 vs 0.83). Downward adjustment of the MoCA cut-off to ≥20/30 maximized test accuracy and improved specificity (0.95) for some loss of sensitivity (0.63). Combining MoCA with the MMSE – either in series or in parallel – did not improve diagnostic utility above that with either test alone.Conclusions: In a memory clinic population, MoCA proved sensitive for the diagnosis of cognitive impairment. Use of a cut-off lower than that specified in the index study may be required to improve overall test accuracy and specificity for some loss of sensitivity in populations with a high prior probability of cognitive impairment. Combining the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE) with the MMSE did not improve diagnostic utility.


2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 811-811
Author(s):  
Ratcliffe L ◽  
Marker C

Abstract The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is considered to be a suitable, sensitive, and specific cognitive screening tool for detecting mild cognitive impairment. Research has reported variable cutoff scores for the MoCA based upon geographical location. The aim of the present study is to provide normative data in a sample of cognitively healthy adults. Data was collected through the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC). A population of healthy adults (N = 3610) was examined (66% female, 78% Caucasian, 16% African American, 6% Other). MoCA normative data were derived from age and education, which were found to be weakly but significantly associated with age (r = −.203, p = .000) and more strongly correlated with education (r = .402, p = .000). Total scores (M = 26.25, SD = 2.75) were at the suggested cutoff for impairment (&lt; 26). Based on an ANOVA, age had a significant effect on MoCA scores (F (6, 3603) = 25.30, p &lt; .001). A second ANOVA revealed that education also had a significant effect on MoCA scores (F (2, 3582) = 290.56, p &lt; .001). Individuals with higher levels of education obtained higher MoCA scores. Performance was also found to decrease slightly with age. Therefore, clinicians should use caution when applying the recommended cutoff scores.


Author(s):  
Chantel Teresa Debert ◽  
Joan Stilling ◽  
Meng Wang ◽  
Tolulope Sajobi ◽  
Kristina Kowalski ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT:Background: The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is a cognitive screening tool known to accurately measure mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in many different neurological populations. Objective: We aimed to determine whether a sport-related concussion (SRC) history and other concussion modifiers influence global cognitive function in high-performance athletes. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 326 varsity and national team athletes aged 18–36 years was completed at the University of Calgary Sports Medicine Clinic, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between the total MoCA score, MoCA subscales, and number of previous SRC, adjusting for age, sex, sport participation (SP), and concussion modifiers. Results: Athletes with a history of three or more SRC were 5.36 times more likely to score less than 26/30 on the MoCA (the cutoff for MCI) compared to athletes with two or less SRC (p = 0.02). Males were 2.23 times more likely to have MCI than females (p = 0.0004). There was a significant relationship between the number of previous concussions and the MoCA subscales of attention (p = 0.05) and abstraction (p = 0.003). Age, SP, and concussion modifiers (migraine, depression, anxiety, and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder) did not influence the relationship between MoCA and previous concussion history. Conclusion: In the appropriate clinical context, cognitive screening with the MoCA may benefit clinical care in athletes with multiple previous SRC, but should not replace a full neuropsychological assessment. Thus, further research is needed to compare the MoCA to full neuropsychological assessments in this population.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. e000580
Author(s):  
Sudha Raghunath ◽  
Yifat Glikmann-Johnston ◽  
Eric Morand ◽  
Julie C Stout ◽  
Alberta Hoi

ObjectivesCognitive dysfunction in SLE is common and associated with significant morbidity but is currently underdetected. Early detection requires the use of screening tests, as formal diagnostic cognitive testing is time-consuming. This study aims to evaluate the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) as a screening tool for cognitive dysfunction in SLE.MethodsPatients with SLE (n=95) and demographically matched healthy control participants (n=48) underwent cognitive testing using the 1-hour neuropsychiatric test battery recommended by the American College of Rheumatology for use in SLE and the MoCA. We used regression analyses to determine associations between MoCA and cognitive test scores. We assessed several MoCA cut-offs for predicting cognitive impairment in terms of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value. Receiver operating curve analyses were used to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the MoCA cut-off thresholds.ResultsWe found a significant correlation between MoCA score and 9 of the 10 cognitive endpoints studied (all p<0.001). Receiver operating curve analysis suggested that a MoCA cut-off of <27 had highest diagnostic accuracy across the cognitive impairment definitions (area under the curve 0.76–0.78). Using a screening cut-off of <28, the MoCA had sensitivity of 83%–94% and specificity of 46%–59%, depending on the impairment definition used.ConclusionsThe MoCA correlates strongly with cognitive test results in SLE and has sufficient sensitivity for use as a screening tool with a cut-off of <28 as the optimal threshold. This tool can be incorporated into clinical practice for screening for cognitive dysfunction in SLE.


2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 327-333
Author(s):  
Thaís Malucelli Amatneeks ◽  
Amer Cavalheiro Hamdan

Abstract Introduction Cognitive impairment in chronic kidney disease (CKD) is commonly associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. As a complex pathology, at all stages of CKD patients need to have a good understanding of the need for drug and nutritional adherence. Cognitive screening is the starting point for detection of cognitive impairments. Objective To determine the specificity and sensitivity of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment – Basic (MoCA-B) for identification of cognitive impairment in the CKD population. Methods This was a cross-sectional study with 163 CKD patients undergoing hemodialysis treatment. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and MoCA-B were administered. Results The MoCA-B has reliable internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.74). A cutoff point of ≤ 21 points provides the best sensitivity and specificity for detection of cognitive impairment. The education variable had less impact on the total MoCA-B score than on the total MMSE score. Conclusions The MoCA-B is a suitable screening instrument for evaluating the global cognition of hemodialysis patients. The results can help health professionals to conduct evaluations and plan clinical management.


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