MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment)
The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), developed by Ziad Nasreddine and published in 2005, is a 30-point, 10-minute bedside screening test. It covers visuospatial/executive function, naming, memory, attention, language, abstraction, and orientation. Its key advantage is sensitivity for mild cognitive impairment (MCI). That is far higher than the older MMSE: about 90% in the original study (Nasreddine 2005), ranging 80 to 100% across populations, versus 18 to 45% for the MMSE in clinic studies. That makes it the preferred first-line screen for subtle cognitive change. A score of 26 or above is conventionally normal, with one point added if you had fewer than 12 years of education. But that cutoff is debated, because scores are swayed by education, language fluency, and cultural background, so valid use needs local normative data. And remember: the MoCA is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. An abnormal score calls for fuller neuropsychological testing.
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