Find out about the MANA
The MANA is a suite of tools for the holistic assessment of mate wareware (dementia) in Māori. It includes wairua and well-being, as well as cognitive and functional components.
Nau mai! Kia ora! Welcome to the new diagnostic suite for mate wareware for use with Māori whānau. It's called the MANA — the Māori Assessment of Neuropsychological Abilities suite of tools.
The MANA was developed in research led by Māori for Māori. Over 400 kaumātua contributed to the development of the MANA suite, and the cognitive assessment tool was validated on 92 Māori.
The MANA is not simply a cognitive screening measure but rather a comprehensive toolkit for assessment that is sensitive to Māori cultural needs. It is a kaupapa Māori guide for how health professionals, whether they are Māori or tau iwi (non-Māori), can better engage in the assessment and support planning process for a Māori person and their whānau who may be living with mate wareware.
Ko te take me whakahou: The need for change
The standard cognitive screening and assessment tests used to help with the diagnostic process for dementia mate wareware in Aotearoa NZ have not been validated on Māori, for example, the Mini-ACE. These instruments have poor specificity and sensitivity when applied to people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Studies have shown that cognitive testing is culturally biased (1,2), and this has been reiterated in studies conducted with Māori (3,4). That's why the MANA is so essential. It's a culturally validated and appropriate suite of tools, including a cognitive test, that can improve the accuracy of dementia mate wareware diagnosis for clinicians working with Māori whānau. Let's work together to ensure that all people, regardless of their cultural background, receive accurate and timely diagnosis of dementia mate wareware.
Mō te MANA: About the MANA
The MANA tool has four key components:
- A history-taking tool that guides you through taking a comprehensive history when seeing a person and their whānau for an assessment of possible dementia mate wareware.
- A wairua and well-being tool.
- A cognitive tool, that is scored.
- A whānau or family tool.
The MANA suite may take up to an hour to complete, in much the same way as the entire general Cognitive Impairment Community Health Pathway. Similarly, splitting the MANA process into sections and involving multiple clinicians may be essential, especially in the primary care setting.
Ngā whaikupu matua mō te uiui: Tips for the interview
The Hui Process will provide a helpful approach for the interview.
- Mihimihi
- Whakawhanaungatanga
- Kaupapa
- Poroporoaki/whakamutunga
Read About the Hui Process
Training video version 1. Whakapākehā: Using English
This training video introduces the MANA and explains how to administer the MANA cognitive tool, including a mock assessment in English.
Watch the Video
Training video version 2. Whakamāori ā-waha: Using an interpreter
This version of the training video introduces the MANA and explains how to administer the MANA cognitive tool, with the mock assessment in Te Reo using an interpreter.
Watch the Video
Putanga reo Pākehā: English language version
You can download the English language version of the MANA below.