Can MoCA and MMSE Be Interchangeable Cognitive Screening Tools? A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background and Objectives Cognitive disorders may be an early sign of neuropsychiatric disorders; however, it remains unclear whether the screening measures are interchangeable. The aim of this study was to contrast the most commonly used screening tools—Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)—for early detection of neurocognitive disorder (NCD). Research Design and Methods This study presents a descriptive systematic review and informative literature according to the Cochrane Foundation’s guidelines. The keywords “Mini-Mental State Examination” and “Montreal Cognitive Assessment” were searched in the Web of Science, SciELO, and LILACS databases. Results Fifty-one studies were selected including a total sample of 11,870 participants (8,360 clinical patients and 3,510 healthy controls). Most studies were published in the past 5 years using a cross-sectional design, carried out across the world. They were organized by age ranges (18–69 years and 20–89 years), years of schooling, and mental status (with and without mental and behavior disorders). Sixteen of 18 studies had participants aged 18–69 years, and 21 out of 33 studies within the older set suggested that the MoCA is a more sensitive tool for detecting NCD. Discussion and Implications Thirty-seven studies suggested that the MoCA is a more sensitive tool for NCD detection because it assesses executive function and visuospatial abilities. Some individuals who demonstrated normal cognitive function on the MMSE had lower performance on the MoCA. However, it seems necessary to establish different cutoffs based on years of schooling to avoid false positives. Future studies should contrast MoCA with other screening tools designed for NCD assessment.

Diagnostic Criteria of Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction: A Focused Systematic Review

“…Moreover, it should be noted that these tests have not been developed for POCD testing and have also not been rigorously validated for this purpose. For example, the MMSE has been shown to be less sensitive than the MoCA for a variety of neurocognitive disorders [44], and this could also be true for POCD. is implies that more research not only on the pathophysiology, prevention, and treatment of POCD is required, but also on the diagnostic accuracy [45] of the tests themselves that are commonly used to diagnose POCD.…”

Masticatory Dysfunction by Extensive Tooth Loss as a Risk Factor for Cognitive Deficit: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…When the hippocampus suffers some alterations, may trigger cognitive deficits, in which worst cases affect the ability to pay attention, process information and respond to information quickly, remember and recall information, think critically, plan, organize, solve problems and even inability to initiate speech (Trivedi, 2006). In order to detect cognitive impairments, some tests are widely used for measure cognition, such as MMSE and MoCA—30-point questionnaire mainly assessing memory abilities, executive capacity, attention, concentration, language functions, and orientation (Siqueira et al, 2018).…”

Depression, everyday technology use and life satisfaction in older adults with cognitive impairments: a cross‐sectional exploratory study

“…As the measurement of life satisfaction is sensitive to timing and may in this study have been altered by momentary mood, affect or the preceding question (36), longitudinal designs are recommended to capture change over time in the observed variables. Future research may also consider applying the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) instead of MMSE since MoCA has been found to be the more sensitive tool to detect early detection of neurocognitive disorders (72). Due to the nature of secondary data, the potential risk of social desirability bias, both in the context of difficulty in everyday technology use as well as in regard to perceived life satisfaction, cannot be ruled out (73).…”