Validating the MUNS in a British clinical population
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Validating the Multicultural Neuropsychological Scale (MUNS) in a British clinical population
IRAS ID
358220
Contact name
Rayshma Ginda
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Edinburgh
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
This research project aims to test a new cognitive screening tool called the Multicultural Neuropsychological Scale (MUNS) in a UK population. The MUNS is designed to be more inclusive than traditional memory and thinking tests, which can sometimes be bias for people from different cultural or educational backgrounds. As the UK becomes more diverse, it is important that cognitive tests work well for everyone so that problems can be identified and treated as early as possible. This will be the first time that the English-version on the MUNS is tested in a UK clinical population and compared against two screening tools commonly used in the NHS – the MoCA 7.3 and SDMT.
The study will include 107 adults based on a GPower calculations for a three-group comparison; this will include 36 with stroke, 36 with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and 35 healthy people with no neurological conditions. People with MS and stroke will be recruited through NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Lothian Neuropsychology and Stroke services, as well as through NHS Stroke Research Network, NHS Neuroprogressive and Dementia Research Network, charities, and self-referral through research flyers displayed on social media, websites, and newsletters from these services. Healthy volunteers will be recruited from the community, including friends and family of clinical participants. Everyone in the study will complete three short, non-diagnostic cognitive tests in a single session lasting about 60-minutes.
The researcher will compare results across the three groups to see if the MUNS can correctly identify people with cognitive difficulties. They will also check how closely MUNS scores match the scores from the two existing tests currently used within the NHS. This project will help show whether the MUNS is accurate and reliable. The findings will be shared with NHS services, charities, and academic groups, with the aim of improving diagnosis and support for people living with neurological conditions in a more inclusive way.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/NW/0038
Date of REC Opinion
16 Feb 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion