Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA): An update normative study for the Portuguese population.

The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is a brief cognitive screening instrument that is known for its good psychometric properties and sensitivity to detect mild cognitive impairment (MCI). After ten years, it became relevant to update the previous Portuguese normative study due to changes in the population and some limitations present in the study itself. The study sample was composed of 860 cognitively healthy adults, stratified according to verified distribution of the Portuguese population across several sociodemographic variables.

Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA): A validation study among prisoners.

Background: There are numerous scales for screening cognitive performance and thus identification of any potential deficits, but in spite of the vulnerability of the prison population to such problems, there has been no adequate validation of screening tools specifically for use with prisoners or others in the criminal justice system.

Aim: To validate the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) for use with prisoners.

Methods: 100 adult prisoners in one Portuguese prison were randomly invited by clinicians to take part in this study.

Cognitive decline complaints scale (CDCS): validation and normative studies for the adults and older adults Portuguese population.

Objectives: Subjective Cognitive Complaints, which result from the self-perception of Subjective Cognitive Decline, are frequently reported by older adults. The Cognitive Decline Complaints Scale (CDCS) assesses subjective complaints of cognitive decline in several cognitive domains through three levels of severity. This study aims to psychometrically validate this instrument considering the Classical Test Theory, and to establish preliminary normative data of the CDCS for adults and older adults of the Portuguese population.

The Assessment of Cognitive Reserve: A Systematic Review of the Most Used Quantitative Measurement Methods of Cognitive Reserve for Aging.

The cognitive reserve (CR) is widely accepted as the active ability to cope with brain damage, using preexisting cognitive and compensatory processes. The common CR proxies used are the number of formal years of education, intelligence quotient (IQ) or premorbid functioning, occupation attainment, and participation in leisure activities. More recently, it has employed the level of literacy and engagement in high-level cognitive demand of professional activities.

Effects of restraining measures due to COVID-19: Pre- and post-lockdown cognitive status and mental health.

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted all countries to adopt restraining measures to mitigate the spread of the disease. Usually, large-scale disasters tend to be accompanied by significant increases of psychological distress, depression and anxiety. Confinement measures imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic are likely to have similar consequences.

Associations between Trace Elements and Cognitive Decline: An Exploratory 5-Year Follow-Up Study of an Elderly Cohort.

Trace elements (TE) homeostasis is crucial in normal brain functioning. Although imbalances have the potential to exacerbate events leading neurodegenerative diseases, few studies have directly addressed the eventual relationships between TE levels in the human body and future cognitive status. The present study aimed to assess how different TE body-levels relate to cognitive decline.

Links between Cognitive Status and Trace Element Levels in Hair for an Environmentally Exposed Population: A Case Study in the Surroundings of the Estarreja Industrial Area.

In the present study, trace elements (TE) levels were evaluated in scalp hair along the continuum from healthy subjects (HS) to patients suffering from subjective memory concerns (SMC), and/or mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and those with already installed dementia (DEM) in order to: (i) assess the effects of environmental and lifestyle factors on TE concentrations and (ii) evaluate the analyzed elements as possible diagnostic biomarkers for the disease. The study involved 79 mainly permanent residents, >55 years old, from the city of Estarreja (northern Portugal), a former industrial area. The health status of the participants was assessed by means of a complete socio-demographic questionnaire and through cognitive screening tests, namely the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE).

Can Subjective Memory Complaints Identify Aβ Positive and Aβ Negative Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment Patients?

Background: The use of biomarkers, in particular amyloid-β (Aβ) changes, has allowed the possibility to identify patients with subjective memory complaints (SMCs) and amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) who suffer from Alzheimer's disease (AD). Since it is unfeasible that all patients with aMCI could presently undergo biomarkers assessment, it would be important that SMCs might contribute to identify the aMCI patients who have AD amyloid pathology.

Objectives: To know whether aMCI patients with amyloid biomarkers (Aβ+) present greater SMCs as compared to those without amyloid biomarkers (Aβ-).