The Moroccan MoCA test: Translation, cultural adaptation, and validation

Abstract

Purpose

Dementia includes all the symptoms associated with declining mental and cognitive skills, resulting in an inability to perform daily activities.

Objectives

We aimed to translate and adapt the Montréal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test into the Moroccan cultural context. We compared the sensitivity and specificity between MoCA and Mini-Mental State of Folstein (MMS) in the screening of dementia.

Materials and methods

The participants in this study were residents in the Fez-Meknes region and over 50 years old. We performed translation and adaptation of the English MoCA 8.1 version into all Moroccan languages: Darija, Tamazight in its three variants (Tachelhit, Tarifit, Atlas Tamazight), and Arabic. We validated Moroccan MoCA according to the Beaton et al. instructions.

Results

The sensitivity, specificity, and alpha Cronbach of the MoCA test were 88.5, 93.8%, and 0.87, while they were 90.2, 90.8%, and 0.79 for the MMS test.

Conclusion

The Moroccan MoCA test had high sensitivity, specificity, and internal reliability compared to the MMS test. The availability of the MoCA in the Moroccan language will be helpful in the screening of dementia and research studies in Morocco and other countries.

Keywords:

• MoCA test
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Moroccan versions

Notes

1 https://www.who.int/news-room/factsheets/detail/dementia#:∼:text=Rates%20of%20dementia,and%20139%20million%20in%20050.