Journal of Alzheimers Disease & Parkinsonism
Open Access

Research Article

The Memory Orientation Screening Test (MOST) Accurately Separates Normal from MCI and Demented Elders in a Prevalence-Stratified Sample

Mitchell Clionsky^* and Emily Clionsky

Clionsky Neuro Systems, Springfield, MA, USA

Corresponding Author:

Mitchell Clionsky, Ph.D. ABPP (CN)
Clionsky Neuro Systems, 155 Maple Street
Suite 203, Springfield, MA 01105, USA
Tel: 413-734-1799
Fax: 413-739-1652
E-mail: mitch@cns-neuro.com

Received date: January 06, 2013; Accepted date: January 30, 2013; Published date: February 10, 2013

Citation: Clionsky M, Clionsky E (2013) The Memory Orientation Screening Test (MOST®) Accurately Separates Normal from MCI and Demented Elders in a Prevalence-Stratified Sample. J Alzheimers Dis Parkinsonism 3:109. doi:10.4172/2161-0460.1000109

Copyright: © 2013 Clionsky M, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Abstract
 

Purpose: The Memory Orientation Screening Test (MOST) is compared with standard neuropsychological tests in a sample of elders reflecting the population prevalence of normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia.
 

Methods: One hundred, forty-eight elders without dementia diagnosis completed neuropsychological tests, the MOST, and MMSE. Neuropsychological results reclassified 37 as having MCI or mild dementia. Clinically diagnosed patients were added, creating a 217-person sample reflecting the population distribution of normal, MCI and dementia.
 

Results: The MOST correlated highly with diagnostic severity and each neuropsychological test, demonstrating 80% correct diagnostic classification. The MOST showed a stronger relationship with dementia severity and list memory than MMSE. MOST cutting scores provided 88% sensitivity and 83% specificity for identifying MCI and dementia, yielding a PPV of .72 and NPV of .93.
 

Conclusion: The MOST accurately classifies patients from a diagnostically proportioned sample as normal, MCI, or demented and has high sensitivity and specificity for separating normal from impaired. Providers can use this 5-minute test to accurately identify cognitively impaired patients and to reassure elders with normal cognition, while acknowledging that no single test is adequate for making a definitive diagnosis.

Keywords