Title thesis: * Detecting differences between MCI patients with a psychiatric diagnosis and patients with a neurodegenerative diagnosis using The Montreal Cognitive Assessment

Abstract

Abstract: Background. Elderly with mild cognitive complaints are often given a neurodegenerative diagnosis, although these complaints can also belong to a psychological diagnosis. When elderly are wrongly diagnosed with a neurodegenerative diagnosis this causes unnecessary agitation and uncertainty for their future. Use of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCa) in the elderly psychiatric department can lead to better treatments, especially when the MoCa can distinguish patients with a psychiatric diagnosis from patients with a neurodegenerative diagnosis. Method. The MoCa, a 10-minute cognitive screening tool to assist physicians in detection of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), was used to search for differences between two MCI patient groups (MCI patients with either a psychiatric or a neurodegenerative diagnosis). The two MCI groups were recruited from the elderly psychiatric department Altrecht, Leidsche Rijn Utrecht. With a longitudinal design, the two MCI groups were followed over time. Patients had a first MoCa test (2008-2017) and a second MoCa test (2008-2018), which could then be compared on overall score and on individual domains of the MoCa. Results. No significant differences were found in the two groups on the first MoCa score. Furthermore, both MCI groups scored lower on their second MoCa test compared to their first MoCa test, and the MCI-neurodegenerative diagnosis group scored significantly lower on both time points compared to the MCI- psychiatric diagnosis group. No interaction effect was found between time and the two MCI groups. Only on the domain ‘Orientation’ a significant difference was found between the two MCI groups. Conclusion. Further research with a larger research group and a control group is needed to draw a better conclusion about the differences between the two MCI groups on the MoCa. This research however, showed that there are (small) differences between the two MCI groups on the MoCa and these findings give a good reason for more research on this subject.