Normative Data for the Montreal Cognitive Assessment in Middle-Aged and Elderly Quebec-French People.
OBJECTIVE
Given that aging is associated with higher risk of cognitive decline and dementia, improving early detection of cognitive impairment has become a research and clinical priority. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is a screening instrument used to assess different aspects of cognition. Despite its widespread use, norms adjusted to the sociodemographics of Quebec-French people are not yet available. Such norms are however important because performance on neuropsychological tests varies according to sociodemographic variables including age, sex, and education. As such, the present study aimed to establish normative data for the MoCA in middle-aged and elderly Quebec-French population.


METHODS
For that purpose, 1,019 community-dwelling older adults aged between 41 and 98 were recruited. Participants from 12 recruiting sites completed the MoCA. Regression-based normative data were produced and cross-validated with a validation sample (n = 200).


RESULTS
Regression analyses indicated that older age, lower education level, and male sex were associated with poorer MoCA scores. The best predictive model included age (p < .001), education (p < .001), sex (p < .001), and a quadratic term for education (education X education; p < .001). This model explained a significant amount of variance of the MoCA score (p < .001, R2 = 0.26). A regression equation to calculate Z scores is presented.


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides normative data for the MoCA test in the middle-aged and elderly French-Quebec people. These data will facilitate more accurate detection and follow-up of the risk of cognitive impairment in this population, taking into account culture, age, education, and sex.
École de psychologie, Université Laval, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada and Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Québec, Québec, Canada G1J 2G3.
Eddy
E
Larouche
École de psychologie, Université Laval, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada and Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Québec, Québec, Canada G1J 2G3.
Marie-Pier
MP
Tremblay
Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Québec, Québec, Canada  G1J 2G3.
Olivier
O
Potvin
Département de kinésiologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada  H3T 1J4.
Sophie
S
Laforest
Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Québec, Canada G1V 0A6.
David
D
Bergeron
Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Québec, Canada G1V 0A6.
Robert
R
Laforce
Département de réadaptation, Université Laval, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada and Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Québec, Québec, Canada  G1J 2G3.
Laura
L
Monetta
Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Canada J6A 5K9.
Linda
L
Boucher
Département de réadaptation, Université Laval, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada and Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Québec, Québec, Canada  G1J 2G3.
Pascale
P
Tremblay
Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Canada J6A 5K9.
Sylvie
S
Belleville
Département de psychologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1K 2R1, Canada and Centre de recherche sur le vieillissement, Sherbrooke, Canada J1H 4C4.
Dominique
D
Lorrain
Département de psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Canada H3C 3P8.
Jean-François
JF
Gagnon
Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Canada J6A 5K9.
Nadia
N
Gosselin
Département de médecine, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1K 2R1, Canada and Centre de recherche sur le vieillissement, Sherbrooke, Canada J1H 4C4.
Christian-Alexandre
CA
Castellano
Département de médecine, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1K 2R1, Canada and Centre de recherche sur le vieillissement, Sherbrooke, Canada J1H 4C4.
Stephen C
SC
Cunnane
Département de réadaptation, Université Laval, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada and Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Québec, Québec, Canada  G1J 2G3.
Joël
J
Macoir
École de psychologie, Université Laval, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada and Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Québec, Québec, Canada G1J 2G3.
Carol
C
Hudon
Aging; Cognition; Cognitive screening; Montreal Cognitive Assessment; Neuropsychology; Norms