2026 American Academy of Neurology Abstract Website

Objective:

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of several neuropsychological tests in detecting Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) among Lebanese Arabic-speaking individuals.

Background:

In Arabic-speaking countries, including Lebanon, the lack of culturally validated neuropsychological assessment tools complicates the differentiation between normal cognitive aging, MCI, and AD.

Design/Methods:

A battery of cognitive assessments was administered, including the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Modified Mini-Mental State (3MS), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R), Digit Span, and Verbal Fluency tests. Participants were divided into control, MCI, and AD groups. Sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy were evaluated for each test.

Results:

The MMSE and MoCA were effective in identifying AD, though MoCA’s sensitivity for MCI was lower than expected. The 3MS demonstrated a good balance between sensitivity and specificity, making it a valuable tool for distinguishing between MCI and AD. The BVMT-R and Digit Span showed limitations, with BVMT-R being less effective in distinguishing MCI from normal controls and Digit Span having low sensitivity for MCI but good specificity for AD.

Conclusions:

Our findings suggest that the 3MS, in combination with other cognitive tests, is a reliable tool for screening MCI and AD in Lebanon. While these results are consistent with international standards, further validation with a broader population is necessary to improve generalizability. This study advances the development of culturally adapted cognitive assessments, emphasizing the need to consider cultural factors in neuropsychological evaluations.