Citation

Lim PA, McLean AM, Kilpatrick C, DeForge D, Iverson GL, Silverberg ND. Brain Inj. 2015; 30(1): 29-35.

Affiliation

c G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre , Vancouver , BC , Canada .

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.3109/02699052.2015.1079732

PMID

26556208

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the temporal stability and responsiveness of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in acquired brain injury (ABI). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: English-speaking adults with stroke or moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury were administered alternate forms of the MoCA (version 1, then 2), 6 weeks apart. Chronic group participants (n = 40) were community-dwelling, at least 1 year post-ABI (mean = 12.1 years, SD = 9.0), and presumed clinically stable. Sub-acute group participants (n = 36) were 30.8 days post-ABI (SD = 12.4) and were undergoing intensive rehabilitation. Individuals with an unstable medical or psychiatric condition or severe receptive aphasia were not eligible.

RESULTS: The chronic group scored 21.6 (SD = 4.5) initially and 22.7 (SD = 3.8) on the second administration, demonstrating a small but significant practise effect (p = 0.009). The Pearson test-re-test correlation coefficient was 0.83. Using reliable change methodology in the chronic group, the 80% confidence interval (CI) for change across the two administrations was -2 to +4, adjusting for practise. Applied to the sub-acute group, 39% improved and 0% declined.

CONCLUSIONS: The MoCA is a brief standardized tool that appears useful for monitoring cognitive change after ABI. The findings enable clinicians to detect statistically reliable change across serial MoCA administrations in individuals with an ABI.

Language: en