Home › Research › Cognitive tests and assessment
Age- and education-adjusted normative data for the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in older adults age 70-99
Malek-Ahmadi M, Powell JJ, Belden CM, O'Connor K, Evans L, Coon DW, Nieri W.. Neuropsychology, development, and cognition. Section B, Aging, neuropsychology and cognition, 2015-05-05
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
The original validation study for the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) suggests a cutoff score of 26; however, this may be too stringent for older adults, particularly for those with less education. Given the rapidly increasing number of older adults and associated risk of dementia, this study aims to provide appropriate age- and education-adjusted norms for the MoCA. Data from 205 participants in an ongoing longevity study were used to derive normative data.
Key findings
- Given the rapidly increasing number of older adults and associated risk of dementia, this study aims to provide appropriate age- and education-adjusted norms for the MoCA.
- Data from 205 participants in an ongoing longevity study were used to derive normative data.
- Individuals were grouped based on age (70-79, 80-89, 90-99) and education level (≤12 Years, 13-15, ≥16 Years).
- There were significant differences between age and education groups with younger and more educated participants outperforming their counterparts.
Why it matters
This study produced age- and education-adjusted norms for the Montreal Cognitive Assessment in older adults aged 70 to 99. It is about interpreting a cognitive screening test, not about treating, curing or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Participants205
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 47/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 45 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 47 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Neuropsychology, development, and cognition. Section B, Aging, neuropsychology and cognition) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Aging Neuropsychology and Cognition: journal h-index 84 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2015 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 205 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 177 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 13.6 citations a year over 13 year(s) since 2015 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 6.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 6 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 62 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | OpenAlex's profile for last-listed author Walter J. Nieri holds only 7 work(s), too few to judge a track record — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Arizona State University: institution h-index 987 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 25942388) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 45 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 45 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 47 out of 100. |
| Total | 47 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
May need a subscription OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 6 Feb 1020), so the publisher may charge for it. The PubMed abstract is free.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Malek-Ahmadi, M., Powell, J. J., Belden, C. M., O'Connor, K., Evans, L., Coon, D. W., et al. (2015). Age- and education-adjusted normative data for the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in older adults age 70-99. Neuropsychology, development, and cognition. Section B, Aging, neuropsychology and cognition. https://doi.org/10.1080/13825585.2015.1041449
Vancouver
Malek-Ahmadi M, Powell JJ, Belden CM, O'Connor K, Evans L, Coon DW, et al. Age- and education-adjusted normative data for the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in older adults age 70-99. Neuropsychology, development, and cognition. Section B, Aging, neuropsychology and cognition. 2015. doi:10.1080/13825585.2015.1041449. PMID: 25942388.
BibTeX
@article{malekahmadi2015-25942388,
author = {Malek-Ahmadi, M. and Powell, J. J. and Belden, C. M. and O'Connor, K. and Evans, L. and Coon, D. W. and Nieri, W.},
title = {{Age- and education-adjusted normative data for the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in older adults age 70-99}},
journal = {Neuropsychology, development, and cognition. Section B, Aging, neuropsychology and cognition},
year = {2015},
doi = {10.1080/13825585.2015.1041449},
pmid = {25942388},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1080/13825585.2015.1041449}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Later studies that cite this one
6 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references.
Related studies in Cognitive tests and assessment
Also tagged “cognitive-function”
1,118 studies in the library carry the topic tag “cognitive-function”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 1,118 tagged studies.