Mild Cognitive Impairment

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a condition in which a person’s cognitive abilities decline somewhat, but are not significant enough to warrant a diagnosis of dementia. Most frequently, a person has memory problems, but may also have difficulties with judgment and thinking that are greater than what would be expected from normal age-related decline. Often a person suffering from MCI is aware of their declines, and friends or family may or may not have noticed because the person is functioning fairly well. On other occasions, individuals with MCI are unaware of their deficits and only loved ones notice things like memory changes.

Mild cognitive impairment may progress into a full dementia. Early identification can lead to medical treatments and other interventions that can slow or, in some cases, stop the decline. Note that memory and thinking abilities change as we age, and a diagnosis of MCI is made only when the changes experienced are greater than what is a normal age-related decline. In addition, symptoms of mild depression and other medical and emotional can mimic the symptoms of MCI, necessitating a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation. Additionally, only such an evaluation can identify where your cognitive and memory functions are in comparison to where they should be. With proper diagnosis and a personally tailored treatment plan, neuropsychological assessments may offer hope that it is possible to slow down or even stop the progression of cognitive decline.