Psychometric Properties of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in Parkinson's Disease Patients in Isfahan

Abstract

Background: The montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) is a screening tool for evaluating mild cognitive impairments. The purpose of this research was to study the psychometric properties of the MoCA in Parkinson's disease patients in Isfahan, Iran. Methods: Thirty-five patients with Parkinson’s disease who satisfied all the inclusion criteria were referred to the researchers by a neurologist. They answered the MoCA, and the mini mental status examination (mmse) and demographic questionnaires. In addition, 40 healthy subjects with all the inclusion criteria except Parkinson's disease were randomly selected. They also completed the scales. Cronbach's alpha, Pearson correlation, and discriminant analysis were respectively used for computing reliability, concurrent validity, and diagnostic validity of the test. Findings: A Cronbach's alpha of 0.77, concurrent validity of 0.79, sensitivity of 0.85 and specificity of 0.90 were found. ROC table revealed 24 as the best cut-off point for MoCA. Conclusion: MoCA can be a valid and reliable instrument for assessing cognitive deficits in Iranian Parkinson's disease patients.

Keywords

• Psychometric properties
• Montreal Cognitive Assessment
• Validity
• Reliability
• Mild cognitive impairment
• Parkinson's Disease