Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia, Cognitive, Dementia, Dementia Alzheimer Type, Dementia (Diagnosis), MCI, MCI Conversion to Dementia, Memory, Mild Cognitive Impairment
Conditions
Keywords
MoCA-B, dementia, turkish, validity, reliability, MCI, MMSE, CDR
Brief summary
This study aimed to evaluate the validity, reliability, and diagnostic accuracy of the Turkish version of MoCA-B in distinguishing healthy controls, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and dementia patients within a low-education population.
Detailed description
The prevalence of dementia is steadily increasing, and recognizing cognitive impairment at an early stage-especially during mild cognitive impairment (MCI), before full diagnostic criteria for dementia are met-is crucial. Cognitive screening tools used in individuals with low educational levels often fail to detect MCI. The illiterate version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) is insufficient for identifying MCI and early dementia, resulting in delayed diagnosis. The MoCA-Basic (MoCA-B), adapted for low-educated populations and translated into Turkish, has not undergone a validation and reliability study; therefore, it is not routinely used in clinical practice. This study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Turkish MoCA- B in detecting MCI and dementia, and to compare its diagnostic performance with the MMSE and the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR). This study included 55 patients with MCI, 56 with dementia, and 55 healthy controls (total n=166) who presented to the Dementia and Neurology Clinics of Antalya Training and Research Hospital between January 2024 and November 2025. After a detailed mental status examination, participants underwent MoCA-B, MMSE (illiterate version), and CDR assessments. Internal consistency was measured using Cronbach's alpha, and test-retest reliability using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Group differences were analyzed with one-way ANOVA and Tukey post hoc testing. Correlations between MoCA-B, MMSE, and CDR were evaluated with Pearson correlation. Diagnostic accuracy was assessed through ROC analyses, and optimal cut- off values were determined using the Youden index.
Interventions
None listed
Sponsors
Antalya Training and Research Hospital
Study design
Observational model
CASE_CONTROL
Time perspective
CROSS_SECTIONAL
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
50 Years to 100 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Age 50-100 years * Presented with memory complaints and were evaluated in the Neurology/Dementia outpatient clinics of Antalya Training and Research Hospital (Jan 2024-Nov 2025) * Low educational attainment (illiterate to primary school level) * Provided informed consent
Exclusion criteria
* Active psychiatric disorders / active psychopathology * Intracranial mass lesions * Secondary causes of dementia * Severe medical conditions affecting cognition * History of traumatic brain injury
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| MoCA-B cut off points | at baseline and after 4 weeks (test-retest) | Calculating cutoff values for dementia and MCI in untrained individuals using the MoCA-B test. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Correlations of MoCA-B total score with MMSE and CDR | data were collected between January 2024 and November 2025. | As a secondary endpoint, Pearson correlation (level of relationship) of the MoCA-B total score with MMSE and/or CDR total scores was evaluated to demonstrate concurrent criterion validity. |
| Subdomain-level analyses | Data were collected between January 2024 and November 2025 | The subdomain-level analyses for the MoCA-B test aimed to determine which domains best facilitated diagnostic differentiation by evaluating, using ANOVA and post-hoc tests, whether subtest scores such as executive function, memory, and attention differed significantly between control, HKB, and dementia groups. |
Countries
Turkey (Türkiye)
Contacts
STUDY_CHAIRAylin YAMAN, Prof. MD.
Antalya Training and Research Hospital, Neurology Department, University of Health Sciences (SBÜ), Türkiye
STUDY_DIRECTORAli Rıza GÜNDÜZ, MD
Antalya Training and Research Hospital, Neurology Department, University of Health Sciences (SBÜ), Türkiye
Outcome results
None listed