any idea on how to get this test?


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "schild.m" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2008 2:13 AM
Subject: Montreal Cognitive Assessment More Sensitive to Cognitive Deficits


> Montreal Cognitive Assessment More Sensitive to Cognitive Deficits Than
> Mini-Mental Status Examination for Parkinson's Disease: Presented at ANA
> By Andrew N. Wilner, MD
>
> SALT LAKE CITY, Utah -- September 24, 2008 -- The Montreal Cognitive
> Assessment (MoCA) is more sensitive to subtle cognitive deficits in 
> patients
> with Parkinson's disease compared with the conventional Mini-Mental Status
> Examination (MMSE), according to a comparative study presented here at the
> American Neurological Association (ANA) 133rd Annual Meeting.
>
> The MMSE is the most commonly used screening instrument to detect 
> cognitive
> dysfunction in Parkinson's disease, according to lead author Stephanie
> Lessig, MD, University of California, San Diego Medical Center, San Diego,
> California.
>
> While it has the advantage of brevity, taking only 7 to 8 minutes to
> administer, the sensitivity of the MMSE to early cognitive impairment has
> been questioned. More complete neuropsychological testing requires several
> hours.
>
> The MoCA, a relatively new cognitive screening test takes 10 to 12 minutes 
> to
> administer. Both tests are scored from 0 to 30, with lower scores
> representing cognitive dysfunction.
>
> In their study, Dr. Lessig and colleagues administered the MMSE and the 
> MoCA
> to 61 patients with Parkinson's disease and 68 age-matched controls. All
> patients had approximately 15 years of education.
>
> Parkinson's patients were divided into those who scored >=28 or greater on
> the MMSE (n = 39, mean age 69.1) and those who scored <28 (n = 22, mean 
> age
> 72.2).
>
> Results show that patients with Parkinson's disease scored lower on the 
> MoCA
> and had a greater range in their scores compared with their results on the
> MMSE. For example, Parkinson's patients who scored <28 on the MMSE lost 
> 20%
> of possible points for memory. However, on the MoCA, the same group lost 
> more
> than 60% of possible points for memory.
>
> The MoCA was also more sensitive than the MMSE in detecting cognitive
> impairment in the group with MMSE scores >=28. This group lost less than 
> 20%
> of points for memory on the MMSE, but more than 50% of points for memory 
> on
> the MoCA. In addition, patients with MMSE scores showing normal cognitive
> function did not always have MoCA scores showing normal cognitive 
> function.
>
> One explanation for the MoCA's greater sensitivity for cognitive 
> dysfunction
> in Parkinson's disease is its specific executive function
> tests -- "Trails," "Fluency," "Abstraction," "Target," and "Digit Span." 
> The
> MMSE does not contain similar tests.
>
> "We now use the MoCA in our research and clinic because it is more 
> sensitive
> than the MMSE to early cognitive deficits in Parkinson's disease," Dr. 
> Lessig
> concluded.
>
>
> [Presentation title: Examination of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment 
> (MoCA)
> and MMSE in Parkinson's disease (PD). Abstract T-82]
>
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