Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) Reliable Change Index in Healthy Older
Adults, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Alzheimer???s Disease 
   Lead Investigator:    Lauren Ratcliffe
   Institution      :    Mercer University
   E-Mail           :    Lauren.Ratcliffe@live.mercer.edu
   Proposal ID      :    1328



   Proposal Description:
   Alzheimer's disease (AD) is currently the sixth-leading cause of mortality in   the United States and accounts for approximately 50-70 of all dementia cases.     Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a transitional stage between normal            cognitive aging and early-stage dementia and has been recognized as a leading     risk factor for AD and other dementias. The concept of incorporating MCI to       dementia originated in the need to expand appreciation of the earliest clinical   manifestations of cognitive impairment in chronic neurodegenerative diseases.     The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is considered to be a suitable,          sensitive, and specific cognitive screening tool for detecting MCI. Compared to   another widely used cognitive screener, the Mini-Mental Status Examination        (MMSE), the MoCA demonstrates a stronger emphasis on frontal executive            functioning, language, and attention therefore, increasing sensitivity in the     detection of specific dementias. Research has reported variable cutoff scores     for the MoCA based upon geographical location and disease progression. There is a dearth of research using large cohort studies differentiating between true or reliable changes and changes occurring by chance. The aim of the present study    is to establish a reliable change index for the MoCA in adults with normative     aging, MCI, and AD.