Comparison of currently used cognitive screening tests in different types of neurodegenerative diseases

This thesis aims to compare the commonly used cognitive screening tests such as Mini- Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and Picture Naming and Immediate Recall Test (PICNIC) in a clinical population. Previous studies often focused on specific populations (e.g., patients with Alzheimer's disease), but this sample includes a wide spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases as well as individuals without noticeable cognitive deficit. Therefore, we were interested in examining the performance of these screening tests in this heterogeneous population. The theoretical part extensively describes mild cognitive impairment, various neurodegenerative diseases, and the employed tests. In the empirical part, the collected data from patients (N = 35) at a coeducational geropsychiatric department of the Psychiatric Hospital in Dobřany are presented. These data were subjected to statistical analyses to assess the normality of the sample distribution, relationships with demographic indicators, and correlations between the tests. Even in the utilized specific diverse sample, statistically significant correlations were found between the individual tests. Key words: neurodegeneration, screening tests, Mini-Mental State Examination, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Picture Naming and..