Mild cognitive impairment

Treatments

Although research is active, to date, there are no FDA-approved treatments for MCI.

For this reason, there is a great interest in non-pharmacological approaches to stave off worsening cognitive disability. One such approach is cognitive training, which researchers believe may allow the brain to reorganize its pathways to adjust to new situations and compensate for injury or disease.

• Does cognitive training work?

  In recent years, there has been an explosion of clinical trials investigating the merits of cognitive training. Various forms of cognitive training have been reported to have positive effects on executive functions, attention, memory, information processing speed and visual spatial abilities.

  A recent study concluded that cognitive training leads to clinically meaningful improvements in overall cognition, as well as working memory, processing speed and executive functions. 

• Does exercise improve cognition?

  Some studies do show that incorporating elements of exercise may provide added benefit than do programs that are purely cognitive in nature. Indeed, one study demonstrated that patients who received a multifaceted program comprising cognitive, transfer and motor elements improved over those receiving cognitive training alone or cognitive plus transfer training only. 

• Take-Away for Patients

  Patients should engage in activities that challenge their brain to learn new things, think creatively, solve problems and achieve goals. Activities such as exercising, reading, using the computer, solving puzzles, playing games, engaging in social interactions and even performing household chores may promote cognitive preservation. To stay sharp, patients should stay active socially, physically and mentally

Tests

MIC is diagnosed through a thorough of examination from one of our Memory Disorder specialists.

• Some criteria they look for:

  
  
  • Definite impairments in more than one of these areas:
  • Memory
  • Executive functioning
  • Attention
  • Subjective awareness of impairment
  • Less efficient and more error prone when performing common activities (e.g., bill paying).
  
  

• It is important to take note that there are a number of reasons that a person might present with cognitive impairments including:

  
  
  • depression
  • anxiety
  • medical conditions
  • medication interactions
  • neurological conditions
  
  

  Depending on the cause, so impairment may be reversible.