Comparison of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and the Mini‐Mental State Examination in community‐dwelling very old Blacks/African Americans

Consistent with previous findings in young-old Blacks/African Americans compared to their White counterparts, our very old sample showed poorer performance on the MoCA compared to the MMSE. These results were strongest among those who did not complete a high school degree. In this population, false-positive results can be minimized with careful interpretation of both MoCA and MMSE performance. Due to the small sample, these results should be interpreted with caution. However, they do suggest that, until better screening tools are developed for this population, researchers and clinicians should consider the use of the MMSE.