Changes in Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scores Over Time.
This study explored the utility of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in the detection of cognitive change over time in a community sample (age ranging from 58 to 77 years). The MoCA was administered twice approximately 3.5 years apart ( n = 139). Participants were classified as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or cognitively intact at follow-up based on multidisciplinary consensus. We excluded 33 participants who endorsed cognitive complaints at baseline. The MCI group ( n = 53) showed a significant decrease in MoCA scores ( M = -1.83, p < .001, d = 0.64). When accounting for age and education, the MCI group showed a decline of 1.7 points, while cognitively intact participants remained stable. Using Reliable Change Indices established by cognitively intact group, 42% of MCI participants demonstrated a decline in MoCA scores. Results suggest that the MoCA can detect cognitive change in MCI over a 3.5-year period and preliminarily supports the utility of the MoCA as a repeatable brief cognitive screening measure.
1 The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, TX, USA.
Kamini
K
Krishnan
1 The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, TX, USA.
Heidi
H
Rossetti
1 The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, TX, USA.
Linda S
LS
Hynan
1 The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, TX, USA.
Kirstine
K
Carter
1 The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, TX, USA.
Jed
J
Falkowski
1 The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, TX, USA.
Laura
L
Lacritz
1 The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, TX, USA.
C Munro
CM
Cullum
1 The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, TX, USA.
Myron
M
Weiner
D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D000368:Aged; D003071:Cognition; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D000073216:Mental Status and Dementia Tests / Q000592:standards*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012372:ROC Curve; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013781:Texas
MoCA; aging; cognitive screen; longitudinal; mild cognitive impairment