Rapid communication: Preliminary validation of a telephone adapted Montreal Cognitive Assessment for the identification of mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease

Abstract

Objective: In the current pandemic, tele-screening of neuropsychological status has become a necessity. Instruments developed for telephone screening are not as well validated as traditional neuropsychological measures. Therefore, the current study presents preliminary validation of a telephone version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (T-MoCA) in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD).Method: Twenty-one persons with PD completed the T-MoCA along with a traditional neuropsychological battery. Diagnostic accuracy for the presence of PD-related mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and correlations with traditional neuropsychological measures are reported.Results: Individuals with MCI (n = 9) scored lower than individuals without cognitive impairment (17.56 vs. 19.50; t = -2.28, p = .03, d = -1.00). Diagnostic accuracy for MCI ranged from 76% to 81%, with sensitivity ranging from 0.56 to 0.67 and specificity ranging from 0.92 to 1.00. Correlations of T-MoCA derived scores with traditional neuropsychological measures were quite modest, with the exception of the memory impairment scale.Conclusions: This rapid communication presents preliminary validation of the T-MoCA for use in individuals with PD. Caveats and implications for practical use in the current pandemic are discussed.

Keywords: Montreal Cognitive Assessment; Parkinson’s disease; cognitive screening; mild cognitive impairment; telehealth.