The Modified Telephone-Administered Minnesota Cognitive Acuity Screen for Mild Cognitive Impairment

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Cognitive Science
• Geriatrics

Background:

• Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), particularly amnestic MCI (aMCI), is a significant risk factor for progression to Alzheimer's disease dementia (AD).
• Accurate and efficient screening tools are crucial for early detection of aMCI in diverse populations.
• The Minnesota Cognitive Acuity Screen (MCAS) is a tool used for cognitive assessment, but its specificity may be enhanced.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the diagnostic accuracy, specifically sensitivity and specificity, of a modified MCAS (MCAS-m) against the original MCAS.
• To evaluate the MCAS-m's ability to differentiate between individuals with aMCI and healthy controls (HCs).
• To assess the clinical utility of the MCAS-m as a brief, cost-effective screening tool for aMCI.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 30 individuals with aMCI and 30 HCs underwent comprehensive neuropsychological testing and clinical assessments.
• Participants completed both the original MCAS and the modified MCAS-m in a counterbalanced order.
• Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were employed to determine sensitivity and specificity.

Main Results:

• The MCAS-m demonstrated 97% sensitivity and 97% specificity in distinguishing aMCI from HCs.
• The original MCAS showed 97% sensitivity and 87% specificity in the same comparison.
• Administration times were comparable, with MCAS-m taking an average of 13.5 minutes and MCAS 12.6 minutes.

Conclusions:

• The MCAS-m offers a 10% increase in specificity over the original MCAS, enhancing its utility for screening in broader community settings.
• This modified tool is a brief and cost-effective method for identifying individuals with aMCI.
• The MCAS-m represents a valuable improvement for telephone-administered screening, aiding in the early detection of potential Alzheimer's disease dementia.