BrainCheck Digital Test Comparable to MoCa in Assessing Cognition

A recent study comparing BrainCheck Assess (BC-Assess; Austin, TX), a computerized cognitive test battery, with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) revealed a high degree of correlation in test results between the 2 instruments. These research findings were presented at the 2024 meeting of the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC).

The study involved 55 participants with a mean age of 79.9 years, who had completed both assessments in previous studies. BC-Assess includes 6 assessments: Immediate and Delayed Recognitions, Stroop, Trails Making A/B, and Digit Symbol Substitution. BC-Assess scores are normalized for age and testing device. According to results from previous studies, BC-Assess can reliably differentiate between normal cognition (NC), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and dementia.

The current study aimed to examine the linear relationship between BC-Assess and MoCA scores and their agreement on cognitive status impressions. Linear regression analysis revealed a high degree of agreement between the 2 instruments. Specifically, the overall agreement between BC-Assess and MoCA for differentiating dementia from MCI/NC was 70.9%, with positive and negative percent agreements of 70.4% and 71.4%, respectively. For differentiating dementia/MCI from NC, the overall agreement was 83.6%, with positive and negative percent agreements of 84.1% and 81.8%, respectively.

"This study further validates BrainCheck Assess as a reliable and sensitive tool, with high correlation and agreement of cutoff scores, reinforcing its value in clinical practice," said Reza Ghomi, MD, MSE, Neuropsychiatrist at the Department of Neurology of the Institute for Neuroengineering and the eScience Institute of the University of Washington, Seattle, and Chief Medical Officer of BrainCheck. "BrainCheck offers an easy solution streamlining screening, testing, and care planning into a single, EHR-compatible platform."