Mini-Mental State Examination and Montreal Cognitive Assessment as Tools for Following Cognitive Changes in Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative Participants

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Wang, Ge^a | Estrella, Alliyah^b | Hakim, Ornin^b | Milazzo, Paul^b | Patel, Sonali^b | Pintagro, Clara^b | Li, Daniel^c | Zhao, Rui^d | Vance, David E.^e | Li, Wei^{b; *} | for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative¹

Affiliations: [a] Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China | [b] School of Health Professions, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA | [c] The College, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA | [d] School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA | [e] School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: Dr. Wei Li, SHPB 485, 1720 2nd Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA. Tel.: +1 205 996 2656; Fax: +1 205 975 7302; E-mail: wli@uab.edu.

Note: [1] Data used in preparation of this article were obtained from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database (http://adni.loni.usc.edu). As such, the investigators within the ADNI contributed to the design and implementation of ADNI and/or provided data but did not participate in analysis or writing of this report. A complete listing of ADNI investigators can be found at: http://adni.loni.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/how_to_apply/ADNI_Acknowledgement_List.pdf

Abstract: Background:Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) are two commonly used cognitive screening and diagnostic tools. Objective:Our goal was to assess their efficacy for monitoring cognitive changes, as well as the correlation between the two tests. Methods:At baseline, participants in the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) were divided into four groups based on their cognitive diagnoses: healthy control (HC), early mild cognitive impairment (EMCI), late mild cognitive impairment (LMCI), and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). MMSE or MoCA scores were compared among the four groups using an analysis of variance (ANOVA) model with repeated measures with post-hoc Bonferroni correction. For those participants who had both MMSE and MoCA assessments done, a Pearson correlation analysis was performed between the two assessments for each visit. Results:The MMSE scores were significantly different among the four groups at baseline, which was true for each of the three annual follow-up visits. By contrast, the MoCA scores were not significantly different between HC and EMCI groups at either baseline or any of the follow-up visits. For participants with a diagnosis of LMCI, the cognitive performance deteriorated in a linear manner 12 months after the baseline, which was independent of MMSE or MoCA. At last, the MMSE scores were moderately related to MoCA scores, which got stronger along with the time of follow-up. Conclusion:MMSE and MoCA are comparable as cognitive assessment tools to monitor cognitive changes. In addition, the measurements of MMSE and MoCA are moderately correlated for the follow-up visits.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease neuroimaging initiative, apolipoprotein E, early mild cognitive impairment, healthy control, late mild cognitive impairment, mild cognitive impairment, Mini-Mental State Examination, Montreal Cognitive Assessment

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-220397

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 90, no. 1, pp. 263-270, 2022