Concordance of the Montreal cognitive assessment with standard neuropsychological measures

• Main Authors: Sally J. Vogel, Sarah J. Banks, Jeffrey L. Cummings, Justin B. Miller
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2015-09-01
• Series: Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring
• Subjects: Montreal cognitive assessment; Construct validity; Neuropsychology; Cognitive screening; Dementia
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dadm.2015.05.002

Abstract Introduction The concordance of the Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) with more comprehensive neuropsychological measures remains unclear. This study examined the individual MoCA domains with more comprehensive and commonly used neuropsychological measures to determine the degree of overlap. Methods Data included individuals seen in an outpatient neurology clinic specializing in neurodegenerative disease who were administered the MoCA and also underwent neuropsychological assessment (n = 471). A principal component analysis with varimax rotation was completed using the MoCA domain scores and comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation measures. Results Four factors emerged accounting for 55.6% of the variance: (1) visuospatial/executive functioning; (2) memory; (3) attention; and (4) language. The individual MoCA domain scores demonstrated high factor loadings with standard neuropsychological measures purported to measure similar cognitive constructs. Discussion These findings provide empirical validation for the MoCA domain classifications, lending further support for the use of the MoCA as a cognitive screen that reflects similar constructs as those measured by a comprehensive battery.