The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was developed by Dr. Ziad Nasreddine and colleagues in 1996 as a brief, sensitive screening tool specifically designed to detect mild cognitive impairment (MCI) — a stage often missed by the less sensitive MMSE. The MoCA takes approximately 10 minutes to administer and evaluates eight cognitive domains. It has been translated into over 100 languages and is now the most widely used brief cognitive screening instrument globally, endorsed by major neurology, geriatrics, and dementia societies. It was memorably referenced in public discourse when U.S. President Trump cited his "perfect score" on the test in 2020.