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Investigating the factor structure of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment: a qualitative review
Maria Rita Sergi, Michela Balsamo, Giorgia D’Ignazio, Michela Terrei, Rocco Palumbo, Giampaolo Salvatore, Leonardo Carlucci. Frontiers in Psychology, 2025-12-17
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Across CTT studies, findings ranged from two-factor to hierarchical multi-factor models, with a general cognitive factor frequently emerging. IRT analyses generally supported a unidimensional latent structure, identifying Executive Function, Visuospatial, and Language items as the most discriminative, while Orientation and Memory showed low discriminative power. Our results showed that the MoCA primarily measures a general cognitive dimension, reflecting variable contributions from different cognitive domains. Standardizing scoring metrics and ensuring cross-cultural factorial equivalence are essential to enhance the tool's accuracy and interpretation of its score.
Key findings
- Across CTT studies, findings ranged from two-factor to hierarchical multi-factor models, with a general cognitive factor frequently emerging.
- IRT analyses generally supported a unidimensional latent structure, identifying Executive Function, Visuospatial, and Language items as the most discriminative, while Orientation and Memory showed low discriminative power.
- Our results showed that the MoCA primarily measures a general cognitive dimension, reflecting variable contributions from different cognitive domains.
- Standardizing scoring metrics and ensuring cross-cultural factorial equivalence are essential to enhance the tool's accuracy and interpretation of its score.
Why it matters
This review found that the MoCA primarily measures a general cognitive dimension, with Executive Function, Visuospatial, and Language items being the most discriminative, while Orientation and Memory showed low discriminative power. Standardizing scoring metrics and ensuring cross-cultural factorial equivalence are essential to enhance the tool's accuracy and interpretation.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 37/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Frontiers in Psychology) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Frontiers in Psychology: journal h-index 313 (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 | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 4 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 1.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 2.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 4 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Leonardo Carlucci: h-index 23 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | University of Chieti-Pescara: institution h-index 415 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41479967) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 37 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1727202
- PubMed: 41479967
- Original source →
- Free full text: Frontiers in Psychology →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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
Sergi, M. R., Balsamo, M., D’Ignazio, G., Terrei, M., Palumbo, R., Salvatore, G., et al. (2025). Investigating the factor structure of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment: a qualitative review. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1727202
Vancouver
Sergi MR, Balsamo M, D’Ignazio G, Terrei M, Palumbo R, Salvatore G, et al. Investigating the factor structure of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment: a qualitative review. Frontiers in Psychology. 2025. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1727202. PMID: 41479967.
BibTeX
@article{sergi2025-41479967,
author = {Sergi, Maria Rita and Balsamo, Michela and D’Ignazio, Giorgia and Terrei, Michela and Palumbo, Rocco and Salvatore, Giampaolo and Carlucci, Leonardo},
title = {{Investigating the factor structure of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment: a qualitative review}},
journal = {Frontiers in Psychology},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1727202},
pmid = {41479967},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1727202}
}
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