![]() Some of the questions on the MoCA are intended to test “executive function,” which is the ability to focus and reason through a sequential task. Significantly for people who take the test because they’re worried they may be in the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease (or a related dementia), MoCA is much more effective at identifying Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) which is often considered the earliest stage of dementia. MoCA is therefore a useful and mostly accurate tool for identifying dementia. This means 94 percent of people who have dementia scored less than 26 out of 30 on MoCA (25 and under is considered at-risk). Studies have found MoCA to be about 94 percent accurate in telling whether a person has dementia or not. ![]() One of these test, the Modified CDR, is fast, free and available online. Some dementia tests are meant to be taken by a caregiver or family member instead of by the individual suspected of having dementia. It also doesn’t provide nearly as much information to doctors who are taking the next steps toward making a diagnosis. The Mini-Cog is simple and effective, but not as in-depth. Subjects are told three unrelated words, then asked to draw a clock, then must remember the three words. The Mini-Cog is a very quick and basic test for signs of dementia, consisting only of a recall test and the Clock Drawing Test. If you want to decide at home whether it’s a good idea to ask your doctor about signs of dementia, sitting down to take the SAGE test is a good way to start. It is easier than the MoCA, with fewer questions, and takes less time to complete. This means it can be taken at home without the assistance of a health professional, though it is still advised that the test be graded by a doctor. The Self-Administered Gerocognitive Exam is, as the name suggests, self-administered. While it does a good job testing the same kinds of thinking skills as the MoCA, the MoCA has been demonstrated in studies as better at identifying mild (early-state) dementia than the MMSE. The MMSE was invented in the mid-1970s, about 30 years earlier than the MoCA, and is used more often than the MoCA in clinical circles by people studying dementia. The Mini-Mental State Exam is also a 30-question test for determining if someone shows signs of dementia. Another popular test, the Mini-Mental State Exam, is more commonly used by researchers studying dementia, but MoCA is better at identifying mild (early-stage) dementia than the MMSE. It is not as basic as the Mini-Cog, which consists of a single memory exercise and the clock drawing test. The test was created in 2005 by McGill University researchers, working in Montreal with people who have significant memory problems. – Clock Drawing Test: Famous for evaluating dementia warning signs ![]() – Concentration: Repeating simple sequences forward and backward – Language: Ability to speak and understand whole sentences, and remember the names of well-known animals or objects – Focus and spatial awareness: Connect numbered dots in sequence, and draw 3-dimensional shapes – Short-term memory: Ability to hear a word and repeat it back a short time later – Orientation: Knowing the day, date, and your present location The 30 questions assess multiple aspects of thinking that are impacted by dementia: Looking for an at-home dementia test? Several are available for download here. "Positive Approach" for Emotional Distress.How to Converse with People with Dementia. ![]()
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