Izifo ze-Neurodegenerative zenza inkinga enkulu yezempilo yomphakathi ngenxa ikakhulukazi yokuphazamiseka kwengqondo okubonakala kuzo. Phakathi kokuhlolwa okuningi okukhona okusetshenziselwa ukukhomba ukwehla kwengqondo, sithola i-MoCA noma i- "Montreal Cognitive Assessment".

Isifo i-Alzheimer's (AD) yisifo esivame kakhulu se-neurodegenerative kubantu abaneminyaka engaphezu kwengama-65. Siboniswa ngokuwohloka okuqhubekayo kwemisebenzi yokuqonda, ikakhulukazi inkumbulo, okunomthelela omkhulu emisebenzini yokuphila kwansuku zonke. 

EFrance, cishe abantu abangu-800 kukholakala ukuthi bathintwe yi-AD noma isifo esithile. Lokhu kubonisa izindleko ezinkulu zomuntu, zenhlalo nezemali. Ukunakekelwa kwabo kuba yinkinga yezempilo yomphakathi kunanini ngaphambili. Kodwa-ke, eFrance, ama-000% amacala okuwohloka komqondo akuyona into ekhulunywa ngezinqubo ezithile zokuxilonga ngokuqinisekiswa ngungoti. Umsebenzi omningi ugxile eminyakeni yamuva ezigulini ezinokukhubazeka okuncane kwengqondo noma "Ukukhubazeka Okuncane Kokuqonda" (MCI). Lesi sakamuva sibonakala ngokuba khona kokukhubazeka okuncane kwengqondo, ikakhulukazi endaweni yememori, ezigulini ezihlala zizimele empilweni yansuku zonke (uPeteren et al., 50).

Ukuhlolwa kwe-MCI kudinga ukusetshenziswa kokuhlolwa okukodwa noma okuningi okusheshayo, okulula lapho izimfanelo ezidingekayo ze-metrological (measurement) ziqinisekisiwe. Ithuthukiswe ngo-2005 nguDkt.Ziad Nasreddine, isazi sezinzwa zaseCanada, i-MoCA isivivinyo esenzelwe abantu abadala nabantu asebekhulile abanokukhubazeka okuncane okusengqondweni, ukuwohloka komqondo okuncane noma isifo se-neurodegenerative. Ezimweni ezingama-80%, isetshenziselwa ukuhlola isifo i-Alzheimer's, ikakhulukazi lapho umuntu evame ukusikhumbula, kwesinye isikhathi kuyaphazamiseka. Isetshenziswe iminyaka engamashumi amabili emazweni angama-200 futhi itholakala ngezilimi ezingama-20. Akukwenzi kube nokwenzeka ukusungula ukuxilongwa kepha kusetshenziselwa ukuqondisa kokunye ukuhlolwa. Futhi ithole ukunakwa kwezobuciko ngokwazi kwayo ukuthola ukukhubazeka kwengqondo kubantu abanesifo sikaParkinson.

Ukuhlala imizuzu eyi-10 kuye kwengu-15, isivivinyo siqukethe ukuhlola ukungasebenzi kahle kokuqonda okuphakathi, ngokuhlola le misebenzi elandelayo: 

• ukunakwa;
• ukuhlushwa;
• imisebenzi yokuphatha;
• Inkumbulo;
• ulimi;
• amakhono okwakha e-visuo;
• amakhono wokukhipha;
• ukubalwa;
• ukubhekisisa.  

Umhloli unikeza imibuzo edinga izimpendulo ezimfushane, imisebenzi eyishumi efana nokudweba ikhekhe, iwashi nokuzivocavoca inkumbulo ngamagama ahlukene okufanele uwakhumbule. 

Imiyalo icaciswe ngokwanele ukuqondisa ngokusobala umhloli kuwo wonke umklomelo. Ngakho-ke kufanele abe negridi yokufaka amagoli nemiyalo yokuqedela i-MoCA esandleni. Ngalezi zincwadi ezimbili nepensela, uqhubeka nokuhlolwa ngokulandela imiyalo futhi ngesikhathi esifanayo alinganise izimpendulo zomuntu ngasikhathi sinye. Njengoba isilinganiso se-MoCA sincike ezingeni lemfundo, ababhali batusa ukufaka iphuzu uma imfundo yesiguli ineminyaka eyi-12 noma ngaphansi. Yize imibuzo ingabonakala ilula, ayilula kubantu abanenkinga yokuwohloka komqondo.

Ukuzivocavoca kusekelwe ku:

• inkumbulo yesikhashana (amaphuzu angu-5);
• amakhono okubuka nawendawo ngokuhlolwa kwewashi (amaphuzu amathathu);
• umsebenzi owenziwa ukukopisha ikhiyubhu (iphuzu eli-1);
• imisebenzi yokuphatha;
• ukushelela komsindo (iphuzu eli-1);
• ukukhipha ngamazwi (amaphuzu amabili);
• ukunakwa, ukugxila nokusebenza kwememori (iphuzu eli-1);
• ukukhishwa kochungechunge (amaphuzu amathathu);
• ukufunda izinombolo ohlangothini lwesokudla phezulu (iphuzu eli-1) nangemuva (iphuzu eli-1);
• ulimi nokwethulwa kwezilwane ezifuywayo (amaphuzu amathathu) nokuphindaphindwa kwemisho eyinkimbinkimbi (amaphuzu amabili);
• ukuma ngesikhathi nesikhathi (amaphuzu angu-6).

Isilinganiso sokuhlolwa senziwa ngqo kugridi futhi ngasikhathi sinye nokuhlolwa. Umhloli kufanele abhale phansi izimpendulo zomuntu futhi azimake (zilungele iphuzu elilodwa futhi zingalungile ngamaphuzu ayi-0). Ngakho-ke kuzotholwa amaphuzu aphezulu kunamaphuzu angama-30. Amaphuzu angahunyushwa kanjena:

• = 26/30 = akukho ukukhubazeka kwe-neurocognitive;
• 18-25 / 30 = ukukhubazeka okuncane;
• 10-17 = ukukhubazeka okulingene;
• Ngaphansi kuka-10 = ukukhubazeka okukhulu.