Longitudinal Change in Performance on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment in Older Adults

Abstract

Objective The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is a brief screening measure commonly used to determine cognitive status among older adults. Despite the popularity of the MoCA, there has been little research into how performance on the MoCA changes over time in healthy older adults. Methods The present study examined a sample of older adults (n = 53) recruited for a longitudinal study of healthy aging. Change in total MoCA score at three time-points (baseline, 12 months, and 48 months) and scores from the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status at five time-points (RBANS; baseline 12 months, 24 months, 36 months, 48 months) were assessed using repeated measures analyses. Results Total MoCA score significantly increased across time, particularly between the first and second administrations. Scores did not significantly differ between the second (12 month) and third (48 month) administrations. When grouped by baseline performance, individuals who scored low at baseline significantly improved performance at 12 month testing, but had little change between 12 month and 48 month testing. Conversely, individuals who scored high at baseline did not significantly change between baseline and 12 month testing, but improved between 12 month and 48 month testing. RBANS scores did not significantly change over time. Conclusions These results suggest that the MoCA may be susceptible to practice effects, particularly between the first and second administrations. These practice effects should be taken into consideration when repeatedly employing the MoCA to screen for cognitive status in healthy older adults.

Differential Impact of Acute Lesions Versus White Matter Hyperintensities on Stroke Recovery

“…The Montreal Cognitive Assessment was only administered at TP1 because of concerns about a potential learning effect 27. All subjects completed at least 3 of the 4 time points.…”

Relationship between 18F-Flutemetamol uptake and RBANS performance in non-demented community-dwelling older adults

“…Numerous research studies have been conducted regarding the ability of the measure to identify cognitive change in individuals with normal cognition (Andreotti & Hawkins, 2015; Cooley et al, 2015; Duff & Ramezani, 2015; Phillips et al, 2015; Thaler, Hill, Duff, Mold, & Scott, 2015), Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI; Clark, Hobson, & O’Bryant, 2010; Duff, Hobson, Beglinger, & O’Bryant, 2010; Hobson, Hall, Humphreys-Clark, Schrimsher, & O’Bryant, 2010; Karantzoulis, Novitski, Gold, & Randolph, 2013; O’Mahar et al, 2012), and Alzheimer’s disease (AD; Burton, Enright, O’Connell, Lanting, & Morgan, 2015; Duff et al, 2008; Enright, O’Connell, MacKinnon, & Morgan, 2015; Heyanka, Scott, & Adams, 2015; McDermott & DeFilippis, 2010; Morgan, Linck, Scott, Adams, & Mold, 2010; Schmitt et al, 2010). Despite these efforts, however, there have been few studies examining the RBANS and its association with imaging biomarkers related to AD, such as decreased hippocampal volumes on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI; Choi et al, 2016; Jack et al, 2010), hypometabolism on fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET; Frings, Spehl, Hull, & Meyer, 2016; Jagust et al, 2010), and amyloid accumulations on amyloid PET (Beach, Thal, Zanette, Smith, & Buckley, 2016; L.…”

Test-Retest Reliability of a Serious Game for Delirium Screening in the Emergency Department

“…Practice effects have been shown with the MMSE in both healthy adults and those diagnosed with dementia at short test-retest intervals ranging from 10 min to 1.5 weeks (Galasko et al, 1993; Jacqmin-Gadda et al, 1997), and longer intervals of three months (Helkala et al, 2002). Moreover, the MoCA has also demonstrated practice effects in longitudinal performance of healthy older adults (Cooley et al, 2015). The presence of practice effects in cognitive assessments is potentially due to a limited range of questions, and these effects are most prominent on questions evaluating the domains of visual memory, attention, working memory, processing speed, and executive functioning (Cooley et al, 2015).…”

“…Moreover, the MoCA has also demonstrated practice effects in longitudinal performance of healthy older adults (Cooley et al, 2015). The presence of practice effects in cognitive assessments is potentially due to a limited range of questions, and these effects are most prominent on questions evaluating the domains of visual memory, attention, working memory, processing speed, and executive functioning (Cooley et al, 2015). A meta-analysis by Calamia et al (2012) revealed that practice effects are more pronounced with short test-retest intervals.…”