As a cognitive screening tool, the MoCA appears to have acceptable psychometric properties. Results suggest that the MoCA can have a considerable advantage over the MMSE in sensitivity and equivalence in specificity using both total and attention scale scores. The MoCA may be a more useful measure for detecting cognitive impairment and predicting rehabilitation outcome in this population.

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ObjectiveA pilot study to determine the feasibility of recruiting patients with MCI to test for cognitive interventions.MethodThirty patients with amnestic MCI were to be divided into two intervention arms and one control group. Participants went to local sites and completed brain training for one hour three times per week for nine weeks. Outcome measures were: recruitment, computer abilities, compliance, task performance, neuropsychological tests, and electroencephalography.ResultsAfter six months, only 20 participants had been recruited. Seventeen were allocated to one of the two intervention groups. Compliance was good and computer skills were not an obstacle. Participants improved their abilities in the modules, but there were no statistically significant changes on neuropsychological tests or EEG.ConclusionsRecruitment of MCI participants for extensive cognitive intervention is challenging, but achievable. This pilot study was not powered to detect clinical changes. Future trials should consider recruitment criteria, intervention duration, scheduling, and study location.

The cognitive-appraisal model of Lazarus and Folkman (1984) is one of the most prominent theories of stress. As integral elements in this model, Appraisal and Coping have both been proposed as mediators of the stress response. The purpose of this study was to test the predictive power of the theoretical model based on two competing formulations using structural equation modeling techniques. One conceptual model proposed that coping influences stress through appraisal; the other proposed that appraisals impact on stress via coping. Women (« = 506) undergoing breast cancer screening completed measures of appraisal, coping, and stress. Support was found for both hypothesized causal structures. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of Lazarus' theoretical perspective.