Early Detection of Mild Cognitive Impairment using MOCA Basic in Illiterate Elderly

Abstract

Introduction: Few studies have examined the performance of cognitive assessment tools in
elderly with limited education particulary Mild cognitive impairment which is a clinical
transitional state between normal cognitive aging and the initial pathological features of
dementia.
Objective: To detect the psychometric properties of Arabic MOCA- B in screening for mild
cognitive impairment among illiterate and low educated community dwelling elderly.
Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 310 elderly, 60 years and older,
illiterate and low educated community dwelling elderly. All subjects were assessed using the
Montreal cognitive assessment basic (MoCA-B), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE),
and the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR).
Results: The recommended cut off values of MOCA B test to detect MCI among illiterates
was 20 out of 30 points with 100% sensitivity and 97.46 % specificity and 21 points with
100% sensitivity and 95.71% specificity among low educated elderly.
Conclusion: The Arabic MoCA-B is an accurate cognitive assessment tool in diagnosing
MCI among illiterates and low educated elderly.