High orientation and low delayed recall in the standardisation of the Spanish version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in elders of Peru

Abstract INTRODUCTION The elderly in Peru face healthcare barriers in detecting cognitive impairment and dementia due to a lack of validated tools. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) effectively detects early dementia, assessing visuo-spatial function, executive function, naming, memory, attention, language, abstraction, and orientation. METHODS This study aims to standardise the Spanish version of the MoCA for the elderly in Lima. The test was administered to 338 elders from three institutions: Municipality of San Miguel District, San José Obrero Polyclinic, and EDMECON. Regression-based normed scores were computed, adjusted for age and education. RESULTS Our results show high orientation scores and low delayed recall, highlighting cognitive strengths and weaknesses in our sample. Age and education significantly influenced cognitive performance, with education as the strongest predictor. DISCUSSION This study offers normative data for the Peruvian elderly, aiding the clinical use of MoCA in Peru. We discuss appropriate cut-off points and cultural sensitivity in the Peruvian context.