title: Longitudinal Change in Performance on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment in Older Adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is a brief screening measure commonly used to determine cognitive status among older adults. Despite the popularity of the MoCA, there has been little research into how performance on the MoCA changes over time in healthy older adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study examined a sample of older adults (n = 53) recruited for a longitudinal study of healthy aging. Change in total MoCA score at three time points (baseline, 12 months, and 48 months) and scores from the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status at five time points (RBANS; baseline 12 months, 24 months, 36 months, and 48 months) were assessed using repeated measures analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total MoCA score significantly increased across time, particularly between the first and second administrations. Scores did not significantly differ between the second (12 month) and third (48 month) administrations. When grouped by baseline performance, individuals who scored low at baseline significantly improved performance at 12-month testing, but had little change between 12- and 48-month testing. Conversely, individuals who scored high at baseline did not significantly change between baseline and 12-month testing, but improved between 12- and 48-month testing. RBANS scores did not significantly change over time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that the MoCA may be susceptible to practice effects, particularly between the first and second administrations. These practice effects should be taken into consideration when repeatedly employing the MoCA to screen for cognitive status in healthy older adults.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Missouri-Saint Louis , Saint Louis , MO , USA.
authors.forename: Sarah A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Cooley
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Missouri-Saint Louis , Saint Louis , MO , USA.|b Missouri Institute of Mental Health , Berkeley , MO , USA.
authors.forename: Jodi M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Heaps
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Missouri-Saint Louis , Saint Louis , MO , USA.
authors.forename: Jacob D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Bolzenius
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Missouri-Saint Louis , Saint Louis , MO , USA.
authors.forename: Lauren E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Salminen
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Missouri-Saint Louis , Saint Louis , MO , USA.
authors.forename: Laurie M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Missouri-Saint Louis , Saint Louis , MO , USA.
authors.forename: Staci E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Missouri-Saint Louis , Saint Louis , MO , USA.|b Missouri Institute of Mental Health , Berkeley , MO , USA.
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Paul
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000592:standards*; D012107:Research Design
keywords: Aging; MoCA.; Neuropsychological assessment; Practice effects