MoCA Memory 3

Question 1

Which memory system is primarily assessed by the MoCA delayed recall task?

Accepted Answer

Episodic memory

Answer

Delayed recall of verbal material over a 5-minute delay primarily measures episodic memory — the ability to encode and consolidate new personal experiences, which is the most vulnerable system in Alzheimer's disease.

Question 2

What is the clinical significance of a patient recalling 0 out of 5 words after the 5-minute delay?

Accepted Answer

It is a strong indicator of significant episodic memory impairment

Answer

Recalling 0 words on delayed recall is a strong indicator of significant memory impairment. This is one of the most clinically meaningful findings on the MoCA and warrants further neuropsychological evaluation.

Question 3

How does the MoCA distinguish between an encoding failure and a retrieval failure in the memory section?

Accepted Answer

By using category and multiple-choice cues and comparing free vs cued performance

Answer

The MoCA uses optional cues (category cues and multiple-choice) for words not freely recalled. If cuing improves recall substantially, this suggests retrieval failure; if cuing does not help, encoding failure is more likely.

Question 4

In Alzheimer's disease, memory performance on the MoCA typically shows:

Accepted Answer

Poor free recall that does NOT improve substantially with cuing

Answer

Alzheimer's disease causes early hippocampal damage and impairs memory consolidation. Patients typically show both poor free recall AND poor cued recall, indicating true encoding failure rather than retrieval difficulty.

Question 5

What is the purpose of administering two immediate recall trials before the delayed recall in the MoCA?

Accepted Answer

To maximize initial encoding so delayed recall reflects true retention

Answer

Two immediate recall trials maximize the initial encoding of the word list. Without adequate initial learning, a poor delayed recall score could reflect encoding opportunity rather than true retention failure.

(MoCA) Montreal Cognitive Assessment Practice Test

(MoCA) Montreal Cognitive Assessment Practice Test

MoCA Memory 3