Application of Montreal Cognitive Assessment to cognitive function evaluation in the old-elderly

Objective To explore the application of Montreal Cognitive Assessment(MoCA) to cognitive impairment evaluation in the old-elderly.Methods One hundred and seventeen retired residents aged 80 years or older were recruited and both MoCA and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were conducted to assess their cognitive conditions,then the results of both scales for subjects with different educational levels,different ages and different genders were analyzed with SPSS software.Results MoCA scores ranged from 4 to 29(22.72±4.35),MMSE scores ranged from 5 to 30(26.35±3.30).The overall scores of MoCA were lower than those of MMSE.Additionally,MoCA scored less than MMSE for different educational levels,different ages as well as for different genders.The score differences between the two scales were statistically significant(P0.05,P0.01).The items of MoCA sorted in descending order on the basis of the damage degree were as follows;delayed recall,visuospatial and executive function,language, abstract thinking,orientation,naming,calculation,attention.Age(β=-0.293,P=0.001) and educational level(β=0.685,P=0.009) were influential factors for MoCA scores.Conclusion MoCA is applicable to evaluating cognitive impairment of the old-elderly and is better than MMSE in diagnosis of cognitive impairment.