Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), amnestic type

Abstract

Abstract MCI is a transitional state between the cognitive changes of normal aging and very early dementia. As the field of aging and dementia moves toward early identification of cognitive symptoms, MCI has become an area of active research. Most clinicians believe that neurodegenerative processes evolve over years and perhaps decades. Thus, the concept of an intermediate stage of impairment between normal aging and early dementia needs to be clarified. MCI has evolved to represent this transitional zone (Figure). According to recent research, MCI can be classified into three subtypes: 1) amnestic MCI, in which the person has a memory impairment out of proportion to performance in other cognitive areas; 2) multidomain MCI, in which the person has a slight impairment in several cognitive domains, for example, language, attention, executive function, and visuospatial skills with or without a memory impairment, although these deficits are mild and not sufficient to constitute dementia; and 3) single non-memory domain MCI, in which the person is impaired in a non-memory area in relative isolation to the other cognitive domains.