MoCA Delayed Recall 5

Question 1

The MoCA total cutoff score for cognitive impairment is typically 26/30. Which statement about Delayed Recall's contribution is accurate?

Accepted Answer

Delayed Recall contributes up to 10 of the 30 total MoCA points

Answer

Delayed Recall accounts for up to 10 of the 30 possible MoCA points, making it the highest-weighted single domain on the test.

Question 2

A patient with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) typically shows which pattern on MoCA Delayed Recall compared to a healthy older adult?

Accepted Answer

Reduced spontaneous recall often requiring category or recognition cues

Answer

MCI patients commonly show impaired free recall but retain the ability to benefit from cuing, distinguishing them from more severe dementia where even recognition may fail.

Question 3

What does it mean when a MoCA Delayed Recall patient shows NO benefit from category cues (recalls same words before and after cuing)?

Accepted Answer

The patient may have a storage/encoding deficit rather than a pure retrieval problem

Answer

No improvement with category cuing suggests the memory was not adequately encoded or consolidated, pointing toward a storage deficit — the pattern typical of Alzheimer's disease.

Question 4

Why must the examiner avoid rehearsing the five words with the patient during the intervening tasks between registration and delayed recall?

Accepted Answer

Rehearsal would make the task too easy and reduce test validity

Answer

Allowing rehearsal or reminders would transform the delayed recall into a working memory or short-term retention task rather than a true delayed episodic memory assessment.

Question 5

Which of the following conditions is LEAST likely to produce a severely low MoCA Delayed Recall score?

Accepted Answer

Early-stage Parkinson's disease without dementia

Answer

Early-stage Parkinson's disease without dementia typically spares episodic memory, whereas the other conditions directly damage memory consolidation or retrieval pathways.

(MoCA) Montreal Cognitive Assessment Practice Test

(MoCA) Montreal Cognitive Assessment Practice Test

MoCA Delayed Recall 5