The application of the Montreal cognitive assessment for elderly in China / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the cognitive changes of patients with MCI using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment(MOCA) for elderly preliminarily.Methods 85 normal controls (NC),117 subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 73 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) were assessed with the MOCA.Results There were significant differences among the three groups in all items of MOCA(F=258.66,P＜0.01).Significant differences were observed in almost all the sub-tests between MCI group and NC group or MCI group and AD group(visuopatial F=54.86,P＜0.01;naming F=17.30,P＜0.01;attention F=82.50,P＜0.01;language F=25,88,P＜0.01;abstraction F=15.00 ,P＜0.01;delayed recall F=130.49,P＜0.01;orientation F=176.09,P＜0.01.).The most significant differences were found in delayed recall and orientation among three groups(F=176.09,P＜0.01;F=130.49,P＜0.01.).At 26 cut-point,The results of screening of the MOCA agree with the gold standard of clinical diagnose for the patient with MCI.The agreement rate for observation was 0.93.The agreement rate by chance was 0.61.The Kappa was 0.85.Conclusions The MOCA appropriately define MCI,NC and AD in their cognitive function,it has good discriminant validity.The test of delayed recall and orientation may be more sensitive in the detection of the older people.The MOCA is a useful screening instrument for the patient with MCI.