Comparing visuospatial construction ability of MoCA and MMSE in cognitive assessment of patients with dementia of Alzheimer’s type

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundThe ability to see an object or picture as a set of parts and then to construct a replica of the original from these parts is known as visuospatial constructive cognition. Examples of visuospatial construction include drawing, buttoning shirts, constructing models, making a bed, and putting together furniture that arrives unassembled. Visuospatial construction is a central cognitive ability. At the same time, there are enormous individual differences among people in their ability to perform visuospatial constructive tasks. The MoCA had greater sensitivity than MMSE in detecting MCI versus HCs (; however, specificity was lower for the MoCA than MMSE.MethodThe present study has considered visuospatial construction ability in cognitive neuropsychological screening tool. The neuropsychological screening tool were Mini‐mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). The intersecting pentagons copy sub‐item was administered as part of the MMSE whereas there was cube figure to copy where subjects have to initially convert a two‐dimensional contour to a three‐dimensional cube. The sample consisted of 15 patients with mild Dementia of Alzheimer’s type.ResultThe result showed that both the MoCA and the MMSE were successful in differentiating between patients with and without cognitive domain deficits and cognitive impairment. The scores in visuospatial construction ability on MoCA and MMSE are different on visuospatial domain which on further analysis showed significant differences in cognitive performance.ConclusionThe cognitive scores of mild Dementia of Alzheimer’s patient differs which showed the differences in the ability to complete a cognitive task as and thus revealed greater sensitivity of MoCA as compared to MMSE.