Abstract
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.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 772-777 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Assessment |
Volume | 24 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 1 2017 |
Keywords
- MoCA
- aging
- cognitive screen
- longitudinal
- mild cognitive impairment
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Clinical Psychology
- Applied Psychology