Honestly, I\u2019m not usually one to brag, but I\u2019m thinking that, in this case, maybe I should. If you\u2019ve been paying attention to the news, you know that the President for the past few days has bragged that he \u201crecently\u201d took a mental competence test and it was \u201cvery hard,\u201d especially the last five questions. Now the President not only took the (very hard) test \u2014 get this \u2014 he \u201caced\u201d it!!
While no one knows for sure, it appears that the test he is referring to is the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ok \u2014 are you ready for this? \u2014 I took that exact same test. Why? Because when you get to be my age and apply for life insurance, the insurance companies not only require you to have a physical exam, they also want to be sure you\u2019re not looney. (Maybe one reason they do this is because they can\u2019t imagine why anyone as old as I am would want to buy a life insurance policy \u2014 unless they\u2019re crazy.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The MoCA screening test was designed about 20 years ago as a possible replacement for another test \u2014 the Mini-Mental State Examination, that had been widely used since the 1970s to look for outright dementia. The MoCA test is used in all 31 of the National Institute on Aging\u2019s Alzheimer Disease Centers. The MoCA test is available on the Internet \u2014 just search for it. It\u2019s the complete test, just like the one that I and Donald took.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The MoCA test gained acceptance because it is a bit harder that the Mini-Mental and can pick up problems that occur in the earliest stage of dementia, called mild cognitive impairment (MCI) \u2014 a sort of \u201ceveryday forgetfulness.\u201d About 1 in 5 people over age 65 have MCI and roughly one-third of those will develop Alzheimer\u2019s disease within five years.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the things I remember from when I took the MoCA was an exercise to draw a clock with the hands pointing to 11:10. I, like the President, was complimented on being able to accomplish such a feat. My \u201ctester\u201d indicated that many people couldn\u2019t do this \u2014 correctly \u2014 usually the major mistake was mixing up the hour and minute hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many doctors today use cognitive screenings of some type \u2014 usually a sub-set of the MoCA questions. I have never had such a test in our doctor\u2019s office, probably because I don\u2019t use Medicare. Congress instituted a requirement that Medicare cover a brief cognitive screening test as part of the annual wellness exam. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some people simply don\u2019t want to know if they are developing dementia, but those that do are often given a neuropsychological test much more difficult and intense than the MoCA. And doctors will repeat the test over time. These tests aren\u2019t like PSA tests, or colonoscopies that identify issues right away and allow for a diagnosis and treatment to begin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So \u2014 I may not be a genius, but I must be very smart, since I don\u2019t think I missed any of the questions on my mental competence test. If you find yourself in a situation that you may be required to take the MoCA, feel free to give me a call if you need some coaching. Of course you could call the President, but with his busy schedule, it might take him a while to get back to you\u2026. I\u2019m just hanging around the house because of COVID-19.
\u2014 30 \u2014<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Honestly, I\u2019m not usually one to brag, but I\u2019m thinking that, in this case, maybe I should. If you\u2019ve been paying attention to the news, you know that the President for the past few days has bragged that he \u201crecently\u201d … Continue reading