Cognitive screening among bilingual Francophones: guidelines for the MoCA
Research team
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PIJ. Savard (U Ottawa)
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Co-IG. Lemay (Institut du Savoir Montfort), A. Robitaille (U Ottawa), K. Sauvé-Schenk (U Ottawa), V. Taler (U Ottawa)
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PartC. Boudreau / C. Pacifici (Montfort Hospital), V. Fecteau (St. Joseph’s Continuing Care Centre, Sudbury), G. Arturi (Hawkesbury General Hospital)
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K-userM. Tremblay (Fédération des aînés et des retraités francophones de l’Ontario), B. Pinet (Consortium National de formation en santé, U Ottawa component)
Funding agency
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CIHR ($99,989)Period: 2021-2025
Abstract
Francophones living in minority communities in Canada often encounter difficulties accessing health services in their language, which can lead to misdiagnosis. Members of our team have observed that cognitive assessment results can vary depending on the language used—French or English—even among individuals who identify as bilingual. Many bilingual clients do not always know which language to use for their cognitive assessment, which poses a significant clinical challenge. Few studies have examined the consequences of conducting a cognitive assessment in a second language, or the impact of the degree of bilingualism on the results. There are also few guidelines to help clinicians and patients choose the most appropriate language for assessment.
The MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment) is a widely used tool for screening cognitive disorders. Although some pilot studies suggest that results are better when the assessment is administered in one’s native language, data remain limited.
This research project aims to evaluate the effect of the language used in the MoCA among bilingual Francophones living in an English-speaking minority community. More specifically, it will examine whether results differ depending on the language of the test (French vs. English), the degree of bilingualism, and the participant’s level of cognitive function.
The study will recruit 200 people aged 55 and over. Participants will complete a questionnaire about their linguistic profile (age of acquisition, use, and proficiency in each language), take the MoCA in both languages, and undergo objective language proficiency tests in each language.
The results will be used to propose clinical guidelines for the cognitive assessment of bilingual French speakers.