Conférence MoCA #23 :
De JAMA à GUIDE : 20 ans de parcours pour faire progresser les soins aux personnes atteintes de démence (Malaz Boustani, MD, MPH) - jeudi 5 juin 2025, 12 h 00 HAE
The MoCA is a brief, standardized screening tool used to detect mild cognitive impairment in prodromal Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions, including stroke, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis.
Purpose: It is designed to screen for mild cognitive impairment using a brief assessment and is well suited for telemedicine or situations where in-person testing is not feasible.
Administration time
Approximately 10 minutes.
Setting
The MoCA should be administered in a clinical setting or other calm, controlled, distraction-free environment.
Form
Paper-based; the examiner presents standardized stimuli and records the examinee’s responses directly on the test sheet.
Cost
Freely available for clinical and educational use; a license is required for commercial use.
The MoCA is scored manually, in accordance with the guidelines provided in the instructional PDF. The total score ranges from 0 to 30 points, with higher scores indicating better cognitive functioning. Scores of 26 or higher are generally considered within normal limits.
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| Property | Summary of Findings Across Studies | Typical Values / Ranges | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|
Internal Consistency / Reliability | MoCA demonstrates good internal consistency and high test–retest reliability across multiple populations. | Cronbach’s α ≈ 0.74–0.87; Test– retest ICC ≈ 0.92 | Scores are consistent across items and stable over repeated administrations, supporting reliability. |
Sensitivity to Cognitive Impairment | Highly sensitive for detecting mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early Alzheimer’s disease; generally outperforms MMSE. | 79–90% depending on study and cut-off | Effective for identifying individuals with possible cognitive impairment; minimizes false negatives. |
Specificity | Moderate to good; varies by population, cut-off, and clinical context. | 50–85% | Identifies individuals without cognitive impairment; lower specificity at higher cut-offs can lead to false positives. |
Cut-off Scores | Original cut-off = 26; revised cut-offs suggested for different populations, clinical settings, and education levels. | 22–26 | Adjust cut-offs based on age, education, or cultural context to balance sensitivity and specificity. |
Comparative Performance | Outperforms MMSE in detecting MCI and early dementia; comparable to or slightly less than some MCI-specific tools. | AUC ≈ 0.85– 0.90 | MoCA has strong discriminative ability; preferred for early detection of cognitive decline. |
Cross-Cultural Validity | Validated internationally; minor cultural/ educational adaptations may be required. | - | MoCA is broadly applicable, but clinician judgment is recommended for low-education or multilingual populations. |
Other Notes | Performance may be influenced by age, education, language, and cognitive reserve. Meta-analyses confirm strong psychometric properties and utility across diverse populations. | - | Clinicians should interpret scores in the context of demographic and cultural factors for accurate assessment. |