KAZAKH ADAPTATION OF THE MONTREAL COGNITIVE ASSESSMENT (MOCA)

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Neuropsychology
• Geriatrics

Background:

• Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is a precursor to Alzheimer's disease.
• Parkinson's disease (PD) patients are at increased risk for developing MCI.
• Screening tools for MCI are crucial for early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a Kazakh-language adaptation of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) version 7.1.
• To assess the reliability and internal consistency of the Kazakh MoCA for MCI screening.
• To evaluate the MoCA Kazakh version in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 50 Parkinson's disease patients with diagnosed MCI.
• Clinical and neuropsychological evaluations were performed.
• Internal consistency was measured using the Cronbach's alpha coefficient.

Main Results:

• The Kazakh adaptation of the MoCA (version 7.1) demonstrated good internal consistency.
• The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the MoCA Kazakh version was 0.77.
• The tool is reliable for screening MCI in PD patients.

Conclusions:

• The Kazakh MoCA is a reliable instrument for screening Mild Cognitive Impairment in Parkinson's disease patients.
• This adaptation can aid in the early detection of cognitive decline in the Kazakh-speaking population with PD.
• Further studies should evaluate the discriminatory validity of the Kazakh MoCA.