Usefulness of MoCA in detecting preclinical AD

Abstract Background Individuals with preclinical AD are difficult to detect using traditional clinical tools. Yet, many individuals classified as cognitively unimpaired (CU) can exhibit a heterogeneous pattern of subtle clinical abnormalities, potentially linked to early Alzheimer's disease (AD). Primary care providers often have access only to clinical tests to study at-risk community-dwelling older adults who visit them without cognitive complaints. Since early intervention is crucial in AD, identifying clinical tools to detect preclinical AD is important in areas with limited access to blood or imaging biomarkers. In this study, we evaluate the link between Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) total scores and AD pathology in CU individuals. Methods We studied 204 cognitively unimpaired (CU) older adults who underwent both 18F-FTP and 18F-MK6240 scans. These individuals were stratified based on their amyloid PET status, determined by visual reading, into CU A+ (n = 35) and CU A- (n = 137), as part of the ongoing HEAD study. CU adults had Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) of 0 and were clinically identified as non-MCI and non-demented. Voxel-wise linear regression models tested the association between MoCA total scores and tau pathology. Results CU A+T+ had significantly lower total MoCA scores than A-T- individuals (Figure 1). Lesser MoCA total score was significantly associated with greater mediobasal temporal tau deposition, using both 18F-MK6240 and 18F-FTP [Figure 2]. When we separated the population by A? status, we found that these results were driven by the CU A+ group (Figure 3A) and were not present in CU A- individuals (Figure 3B). Discussion These findings indicate that the MoCA, a simple routine in-office clinical test, can detect subtle cognitive dysfunction associated with preclinical AD. This suggests that simple cognitive testing can play a role in the early detection of AD and therefore an option for prescreening older adults in non-specialized clinical settings, the initial interface for most older adults without cognitive complaints. Conclusion MoCA total, the common dementia screening test also plays a valuable role in detecting preclinical AD.