MoCA Cube Copying (Three-Dimensional Copy) Flashcards

A patient draws the cube directly on top of the printed model instead of in the blank space. What is this phenomenon called?

Answer: Closing-in

Closing-in is the tendency to draw on or very near the model and is often seen in dementia.

A patient's cube has all lines, no extra lines, but the parallel edges clearly converge, making the cube look skewed. How is it scored?

Answer: 0 points, because lines must be relatively parallel

Lines must be relatively parallel and of similar length to earn the point.

Is the cube item scored as partial credit or all-or-none?

Answer: All-or-none: 1 point only if every criterion is met

The cube earns a single point only when all criteria are satisfied.

Which brain region is most classically associated with constructional difficulties such as impaired cube copying?

Answer: Parietal lobe

Constructional apraxia is classically linked to parietal lobe dysfunction, especially on the right.

A patient with left hemispatial neglect copies the cube. Which error is most expected?

Answer: Omitting lines on the left side of the figure

Left neglect causes patients to ignore the left side of space, so left-sided lines are often missing.

In which version of the MoCA is the cube item omitted because it requires vision?

Answer: MoCA-Blind

The MoCA-Blind removes visually dependent items such as the cube, trails, clock, and naming.

A patient draws the cube slowly but correctly in about two minutes. How does time affect the score?

Answer: It does not; there is no strict time limit for scoring

The cube is scored on accuracy, not speed.