KEY POINTS

  • Donald Trump undertook a 10-minute cognitive test to rule out dementia
  • Experts claimed that Moca cannot diagnose dementia and Alzheimer's
  • Donald Trump should take a comprehensive neurological test

Donald Trump previously agreed to take a cognitive exam in an attempt to rule out the rumors that he could be suffering from dementia.

According to The New York Times, the POTUS passed the Montreal Cognitive Assessment or Moca, which is a 10-minute exam intended to highlight possible problems with a person’s thinking and memory. However, experts stressed that Moca is, by no means, definitive and diagnostic.

The 10-minute test seeks to find answers to 30 questions that could briefly assess a person’s memory, attention, concentration, and other mental skills.

To test a person’s memory, the examiner reads five words at one second each, and they would ask the examinee to repeat to them immediately what word they said.

For concentration and attention, the assessment includes reading a list of five digits and asking the examinee to repeat them in the order that it was said and in reverse. The examinees are also asked to count backward from 100 in increments of seven.

The examinees like Trump are also asked to identify a lion, a camel, and rhino. They are also asked to draw a clock with the hands pointing at exactly 11:10. A score of 26 out of 30 is considered normal.

However, Moca doesn’t provide a specific diagnosis. Dr. Eric Siemers, who recently headed the development of Alzheimer’s drugs said that Harvard professors, for instance, could have a lot of declines before the indicators start showing up in cognitive tests.

Dr. Ronald Petersen, the director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at the Mayo Clinic, said that one of the best ways to diagnose dementia is through a more comprehensive neuropsychological test.

Family members who know the patient very well can also share information with the doctor.

“Lack of awareness or insight can be part of the package,” he said.

As such, the POTUS still hasn’t been ruled out of his possible dementia. After all, he has only taken Moca.

US President Donald Trump once again attacked Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, blaming him for a decline in stocks
US President Donald Trump once again attacked Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, blaming him for a decline in stocks AFP / JIM WATSON