Executive Functioning Flashcards
7 cards from real MOCA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Executive Functioning flashcards as text
A patient with early Parkinson's disease is given the MoCA. Which executive function subtest is MOST likely to show impairment in this population?
Answer: Trail Making B due to frontostriatal circuit disruption
Parkinson's disease disrupts frontostriatal circuits that support set-shifting, making Trail Making B particularly sensitive to the executive deficits seen in this population.
Which of the following correctly describes the phonemic fluency task on the MoCA?
Answer: Generate words beginning with the letter 'F' in 60 seconds
The MoCA phonemic fluency task requires generating as many words as possible starting with the letter 'F' within 60 seconds, with 11 or more words earning 1 point.
How does the MoCA address the potential confound of low education on executive task scores?
Answer: It adds 1 bonus point for individuals with 12 or fewer years of education
The MoCA adds 1 point to the total score for individuals who have 12 or fewer years of formal education, partially correcting for education-related performance differences.
A patient cannot complete the Trail Making B task due to motor tremor but clearly understands the alternating rule and can verbally describe the correct sequence. The examiner should:
Answer: Document the motor limitation and use clinical judgment about executive ability
When motor limitations prevent task completion, clinicians should document the reason and use clinical judgment, recognizing that the verbal demonstration suggests intact cognitive set-shifting despite the motor barrier.
Which of the following is an example of an 'executive' error on the MoCA clock drawing task?
Answer: Placing numbers in the correct positions but failing to include clock hands entirely due to impaired planning
Omitting clock hands entirely due to planning failure — rather than forgetting the instruction — reflects an executive breakdown in task monitoring and completion.
Serial 7 subtraction (starting from 100) is an alternate attention/executive task on the MoCA. Compared to phonemic fluency, serial 7s more specifically stresses which executive process?
Answer: Mental arithmetic within working memory under time pressure
Serial 7s require holding a running total in working memory while performing arithmetic operations sequentially, placing a distinct demand on numeric working memory under cognitive load.
A patient scores 18/30 on the MoCA with particular weakness on Trail Making B, fluency, and abstraction, but relatively preserved memory and orientation. This profile is most consistent with:
Answer: Dysexecutive syndrome with relative preservation of posterior cortical functions
Selective impairment on executive subtests (Trail Making, fluency, abstraction) with relatively preserved memory and orientation suggests a dysexecutive syndrome, pointing to predominantly frontal or frontostriatal pathology.