Validity and Diagnostics of the Italian Version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in Non-demented Parkinson's Disease Patients

Overview

Journal Aging Clin Exp Res

Publisher Springer

Specialty Geriatrics

Date 2023 Jul 22

PMID 37480503

Authors

Alfonsina DIorio

Edoardo Nicolo Aiello

Marianna Amboni

Carmine Vitale

Federico Verde

Vincenzo Silani

Nicola Ticozzi

Andrea Ciammola

Barbara Poletti

Gabriella Santangelo

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: This study aimed at: (1) assessing, in an Italian cohort of non-demented Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, the construct validity of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) against both first- and second-level cognitive measures; (2) delivering an exhaustive and updated evaluation of its diagnostic properties.

Methods: A retrospective cohort of N = 237 non-demented PD patients having been administered the MoCA was addressed, of whom N = 169 further underwent the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and N = 68 the Parkinson's Disease Cognitive Rating Scale (PD-CRS). A subsample (N = 60) also underwent a second-level cognitive battery encompassing measures of attention/executive functioning, language, memory, praxis and visuo-spatial abilities. Construct validity was assessed against both the PD-CRS and the second-level cognitive battery. Diagnostics were tested via receiver-operating characteristics analyses against a below-cut-off MMSE score.

Results: The MoCA was associated with both PD-CRS scores (p < .001) and the vast majority of second-level cognitive measures (ps < .003). Both raw and adjusted MoCA scores proved to be highly accurate to the aim of identifying patients with MMSE-confirmed cognitive dysfunctions. A MoCA score adjusted for age and education according to the most recent normative dataset and < 19.015 is herewith suggested as indexing cognitive impairment in this population (AUC = .92; sensitivity = .92; specificity = .80).

Discussion: The Italian MoCA is a valid and diagnostically sound screener for global cognitive inefficiency in non-demented PD patients. Further studies are nevertheless needed that confirm its diagnostic values against a measure other than the MMSE.

Citing Articles

Reliable change indices for the Italian version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in non-demented Parkinson's disease patients.

Aiello E, Solca F, Torre S, Curti B, De Luca G, Bonetti R BMC Neurol. 2024; 24(1):427.

PMID: 39497078 PMC: 11533291. DOI: 10.1186/s12883-024-03920-9.

Psychometrics and diagnostics of the Italian version of the Alternate Verbal Fluency Battery (AVFB) in non-demented Parkinson's disease patients.

Aiello E, Mameli F, Ruggiero F, Zirone E, Zago S, Piacentini S Neurol Sci. 2024; 45(8):3767-3774.

PMID: 38467953 PMC: 11255082. DOI: 10.1007/s10072-024-07436-5.

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