Attention and Concentration Flashcards

A patient scores 3 points on the MoCA serial 7s subtraction task. How many correct responses did they give?

Answer: 5

A score of 3 on serial 7s is only awarded when all 5 subtractions are correct.

Which of the following best describes the scoring rule for the MoCA digit span forward task?

Answer: 1 point only if the full 5-digit sequence is repeated correctly

The forward digit span awards 1 point only when the entire 5-digit sequence (21854) is correctly repeated.

On the MoCA, the backward digit span uses a sequence of how many digits?

Answer: 4

The backward digit span uses a 3-digit sequence (742), and 1 point is awarded for a correct reversal.

What is the maximum score a patient can earn on ALL attention and concentration subtests of the MoCA combined?

Answer: 6 points

Attention subtests total 6 points: 1 for digit span forward, 1 for digit span backward, 1 for letter vigilance, and 3 for serial 7s.

Why is the serial 7 subtraction task considered a measure of both attention AND executive function on the MoCA?

Answer: It demands sustained mental arithmetic while inhibiting previous answers

Serial subtraction requires holding a running total, inhibiting prior responses, and performing sequential arithmetic — all aspects of executive control.

During the MoCA letter vigilance task, the examiner reads a series of letters at a rate of:

Answer: One letter per second

The examiner reads the 30-letter sequence at a pace of one letter per second to standardize the task.

Which patient response pattern on the MoCA letter vigilance task indicates perseveration rather than true vigilance impairment?

Answer: Tapping on nearly every letter regardless of whether it is an A

Tapping indiscriminately on most letters suggests perseveration or a failure to inhibit responses, rather than simple inattention.