Assessing performance on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in experienced cochlear implant users: use of alternative scoring guidelines.

ABSTRACT Although research suggests a relationship between hearing impairment and cognitive decline in older adults, nuances of this relationship remain unclear. This uncertainty could be attributed to verbal administration of standardized cognitive measures to hearing-impaired (HI) individuals. Various strategies for testing HI populations have been suggested. We tested the efficacy of applying alternative scoring methods that systematically removed auditory-based items on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in 27 cochlear implant patients. We calculated the original MoCA score and three alternative scores. The first alternative removed items from the Attention and Language sections; the second alternative removed the Delayed Recall task, and the third alternative removed the Attention, Language, and Delayed Recall items. QoL was assessed using the Glasgow Benefit Inventory and Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire. Results indicate a significant difference in MoCA scores with two alternative scoring methods. The second alternative MoCA score related to self-reported performance on the GBI.