Influence of Social and Demographic Factors on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) Test in Rural Population of North-Eastern Greece

Abstract

The current study aims to investigate the influence of socio-demographic factors on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test results in a Greek-speaking population consisting of a sample of healthy older adults, individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and dementia patients in rural areas. In addition, the current research focuses on determining optimal cut-off scores for the clinical diagnoses of MCI and dementia. The data originated from 283 participants in an ongoing registry of the Neurology Department of Alexandroupolis University Hospital, recruited in different rural districts of north-eastern Greece, across a broad range of educational and occupational categories. Total and sub-domain scores for the MoCA varied significantly, according to sex, age, and education, among the three study groups. The optimal cut-off points of 25/26 for the MoCA total score was determined to classify healthy subjects from individuals with MCI, 24 to discriminate healthy participants from demented, and 21/22 to discriminate subjects with MCI from dementia. Overall, the clinical use of the MoCA test can be supported by demographically adjusted standard scores in a Greek-speaking rural population. These findings serve to improve the diagnostic accuracy and utility of the MoCA test.

Predictive Models for the Transition from Mild Neurocognitive Disorder to Major Neurocognitive Disorder: Insights from Clinical, Demographic, and Neuropsychological Data

“…These criteria include the following: (a) self-reported or observed decline in cognitive functioning by the patient, family member, or clinician; (b) cognitive impairment for the individual’s age demonstrated by formal neuropsychological testing; (c) evidence of gradual cognitive decline in objective tasks beyond normal aging but not meeting criteria for dementia; (d) preserved general cognitive and daily function; and (e) no prior diagnosis of dementia or other conditions (e.g., depression, delirium, intoxication, or psychosis) that could explain the impairment. Additional inclusion criteria were as follows: age over 40 years; mild cognitive decline based on Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) [ 52 , 53 ] and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score [ 54 , 55 ], defined as 1 to 1.5 standard deviations (SDs) below the mean for age- and education-adjusted norms based on normative data; absence of other neurological diseases; not currently taking cholinesterase inhibitors, antipsychotics, and/or anticholinergic drugs. The inclusion criterion of age over 40 years in studies of minor NCD is significant for capturing early markers of cognitive decline and understanding the progression of the disorder.…”

The Effects of Horticultural Therapy on Sense of Coherence among Residents of Long-Term Care Facilities: A Quasi Experimental Design

“…The structured questionnaire used in the present study comprised four parts: personal factors, physical-environment factors, socialenvironment factors, and the SOC scale. Personal data were demographic data (age, sex, marital status, education level, and religion) and health status (number of multi-morbidities, score of Barthel index for activities of daily living (ADL S ) [24], score of Lawton instrumental activities of daily living (IADL S ) scale [25], mini-mental status examination (MMSE) score [26], and geriatric depression scale (GDS)-15 score [27]). Physical-environment factors covered room type, the presence of natural window views, and the presence of outdoor public spaces.…”