Abstract
Patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have memory impairment beyond that expected for their age and education, and yet they are not demented. While objective evidence of impairment in one or more cognitive domains, typically including memory, is generally observed, they also show preservation of independence in functional abilities. The estimated prevalence of MCI in population based studies ranges from 10-20% in persons older than 65 years of age. The number of persons with MCI is about 1.5-2 times that for Alzheimer's disease (AD). MCI is subdivided into the major subdivisions of amnestic and nonamnestic MCI, followed by further subclassification into single- or multiple-domain categories. The etiology of MCI includes neurodegenerative disease, cerebrovascular disease, endocranial disease, mental disorder, systemic internal disease, and drug intoxication. Most MCI progresses to AD. Finally, more than 90% of patients with amnestic MCI progress to AD. Recently, MCI criteria incorporating biomarkers were proposed. If patients meet the Core Clinical Criteria for MCI and have positive biomarkers for both Aβ and neuronal injury, there is the highest level of certainty that they have “MCI due to AD”. At present, there are no radical treatments to prevent the progression of MCI to AD. However, adequate exercise and a balanced diet are effective to some extent.
