MoCA use in general practice for the early detection of cognitive impairment

Background GPs can detect cognitive impairment at a very early stage, allowing early support for people and their caregivers. The early onset of cognitive impairment is between 50 and 60 years. Currently, in France, the Mini Mental State Examination remains the most used screening test, though it has a lower sensitivity and specificity than the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) for detecting mild cognitive impairment, taking an average of 15 minutes to complete.

Aim To investigate the feasibility of the MoCA during routine consultations in general practice for the early detection of cognitive impairment and to determine prevalence of cognitive impairment in a primary care setting.

Design & setting A quantitative, prospective feasibility study was carried out in real-life working condition during routine consultation.

Method GPs performed MoCA on adults aged 50 years and older, without suspected or confirmed cognitive impairment.

Results and Conclusion 61 GPs performed 221 MoCA with a mean duration of 8 minutes and detected mild neurocognitive impairment in 62% of patients. The MoCA is feasible and easy to perform during routine consultations in general practice by trained and experienced physicians.