BMC Geriatr. 2025 May 24;25(1):374. doi: 10.1186/s12877-025-06004-6.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) performances of people who report no, subclinical, and clinical symptoms of depression.
METHODS: Data was collected for the randomized controlled trial BrainFit-Nutrition. A secondary data analysis of 1,111 participants (age ≥ 60 years; M = 68.4 years; 55.1% female) was performed. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), cognitive performance was assessed via the MoCA. Performance differences were tested with Kruskal-Wallis tests. Two sensitivity analyses were conducted, one with data from people with MCI and one with the original item structure of the MoCA.
RESULTS: No differences were found in the MoCA total score or in visuospatial, executive functioning, attention, memory, or orientation subscores between individuals with no, subclinical, or clinical symptoms of depression. A sensitivity analysis also showed no differences.
CONCLUSION: Cognitive screening with the MoCA seems to be robust against depression and could therefore be used to screen for MCI regardless of depression level.
TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was prospectively registered at the International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number Registry on 23/11/2021 (ISRCTN 10560738).
PMID:40413417 | DOI:10.1186/s12877-025-06004-6
