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Mild cognitive impairment

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Patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) experience a decline in memory but not in other cognitive abilities. There is no significant impact on daily life. It often goes unnoticed by the individual experiencing it, but a person with MCI remains at a greater risk of progressing on to dementia.

Why Choose UHealth?

How do the research programs at UM work? UM Neurology has an ever-growing memory research program. UM researchers collaborate with each other as well as scientists throughout the country. We are proud of our researchers, their dedication, and their significant accomplishments.

What are researchers studying? UM researchers are studying many issues related to memory loss, including the causes and the treatments of Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia.

What are your research goals? We want to understand why people develop problems with their memory as they age. We also want to understand the factors that make someone susceptible to dementia.

What types of research programs are underway? There are many. In one program, UM researchers are studying the genetics of memory diseases to find out whether someone is born with these diseases that will become apparent in later years. Gene therapy may one day allow these genetically susceptible people a treatment to prevent memory loss and dementia.

What else are you researching? We are studying whether the accumulation of amyloid protein in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients can be interrupted and whether this prevents the disease from worsening. UM researchers are also studying the effects of diet and nutrition on brain health and memory.

What about using stem cells for memory loss? Stem cells are one of the most exciting areas of research today. We all have stem cells in many areas of our bodies including our brain. Scientists are looking to find ways to mobilize our own stem cells and enhance their ability to repair or restore damaged areas of the brain.

Aren’t stem cells difficult to obtain? No. Science has advanced so that we can now take stem cells from the skin, bone marrow, fatty tissues or other parts of the body. Fetal stem cells are no longer necessary.

How do stem cells work? Stem cells have the potential to repair or replace damaged brain tissue and thereby restore functions of the brain including memory.

Questions? We're here to help.

Our appointment specialists are ready to help you find what you need. Contact us today.

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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.

Accepted Insurances

Note: Health plans that are currently contracted with UHealth are listed below. However, please check with your insurance provider to verify that UHealth is part of your provider network.

  • Aetna WC
  • Aetna Affiliates/Signature Adm (ASA)
  • Aetna Behavioral Health
  • Aetna Elect Choice (EPO)
  • Aetna Florida Healthy Kids
  • Aetna HMO
  • Aetna Medicaid HMO
  • Aetna Medicare HMO
  • Aetna Medicare PPO
  • Aetna POS
  • Aetna PPO
  • Aetna UM Employee HMO 1
  • Aetna UM Employee HMO 2
  • Aetna UM Employee POS HRA
  • Aetna/Coventry Institutes of Excellence (IOE)
  • Amerigroup Florida Healthy Kids
  • Amerigroup Medicaid HMO
  • Argus Vision
  • AvMed Choice
  • AvMed HMO/POS
  • AvMed MDC and JHS Groups
  • AvMed Medicare HMO
  • AXIS
  • BCBS Blue Options Network Blue PPO
  • BCBS BlueCare HealthOptions HMO
  • BCBS BlueChoice PPC/PPO
  • BCBS Miami Dade Blue PPO Limited Benefits Plan
  • BCBS of Florida (All products except "SELECT" Plans)
  • BCBS of Florida (Commercial plans exclude HIX Select)
  • BCBS Traditional PHS/PPO
  • Beacon Health (ValueOption)
  • Beech Street PPO
  • Broward Health Medical Center
  • CarePlus Medicare HMO
  • Catholic Hospice
  • CCP/CMS Title XIX (Medicaid Enrolled in South Florida)
  • CCP/CMS Title XXI (Non Medicaid Enrolled in South Florida)
  • CCP/MMA (Broward County residents)
  • Charlotte County Sheriffs Office PPO
  • Cigna Affiliates
  • Cigna Behavioral Health
  • Cigna Dental HMO/PPO
  • Cigna EPO
  • Cigna HMO
  • Cigna Life Source (Intracorp is part of Cigna Lifesource)
  • Cigna MDCPS Jackson Sr. High
  • Cigna POS
  • Cigna PPO
  • Cigna Shared Administration
  • Clear Health Alliance SNP Medicaid HMO
  • Concordia Behavioral Health
  • CorVel WC
  • Coventry First Health WC
  • Coventry Health Care of Florida (HIP) HMO/POS
  • Coventry Health Care of Florida (HIP) PPO
  • Coventry Health Plan of Florida (Foundation) HMO
  • Coventry Health Plan of Florida (Foundation) POS
  • Coventry National PPO
  • Coventry Summit Medicare HMO
  • Coventry Vista Medicare HMO
  • Coventry First Health PPO
  • Delta Dental PPO
  • DentaQuest (ADI)
  • DIKLA
  • Dimension WC
  • Dimension Plus PPO
  • Doctor's Healthcare Plan
  • EHN PPO
  • EQUIAN (Health Systems International)
  • Europe Assistance/Global Corporate Solutions (Care Management Network)
  • eyeQuest
  • FCCI WC
  • Florida Community Care (FCC)
  • Florida Healthcare Plan (Affiliate of BCBSFL)
  • Florida PACE (FPC)
  • Freedom Health Medicaid HMO
  • Freedom Health Medicare HMO
  • Gallagher Bassett WC (MDCPS & FCSRMC)
  • Global Excel Mgt PPO
  • Great West (Cigna) HMO/POS
  • Guardian Life PPO
  • HAA Preferred Partners
  • Health First Health HMO/POS
  • Health First Health Medicare HMO
  • Health First Health PPO
  • Health Net Veterans Choice HMO
  • Heritage Summit Healthcare WC
  • Humana Behavioral Health (LifeSynch)
  • Humana Dental/CompBenefits/OHS
  • Humana EPO
  • Humana HMO
  • Humana Medicaid HMO
  • Humana Medicare HMO
  • Humana National Transplant
  • Humana PPO
  • Humana Premier
  • iCare Health Solutions
  • Interlink Health Services
  • International Kids Fund (IKF)
  • League Medical Concepts Federal Inmates
  • Life Trac
  • Magellan Behavioral Health
  • Magellan Complete Care SNP Medicaid HMO
  • MDAbroad
  • Medica Medicare HMO
  • Medical Development In't (MDI)-Federal Inmates
  • Medicus
  • Metlife Dental PPO
  • MHNet Behavioral Network (MHNet)
  • Molina
  • Molina Market Place
  • Molina Medicaid HMO
  • Molina Medicare HMO
  • Morgan White International
  • MultiPlan PPO
  • Naphcare (Federal Prisoners)
  • National Healthcare Solutions Inc.
  • Neighborhood HealthPlan HMO/POS
  • Neighborhood HealthPlan PPO
  • North Broward Hospital District PPO
  • Olympus Managed Healthcare
  • Optum
  • Positive Healthcare SNP Medicaid HMO
  • Positive Healthcare SNP Medicare HMO
  • Prestige Health Choice Medicaid HMO
  • Prime Health Services WC
  • Quality Health Management
  • Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses PPO
  • Rockport Healthcare Group WC
  • Royal Caribbean Cruises PPO
  • Sanus Health Corporation
  • Seasons Hospice
  • Simply Healthcare Medicaid HMO
  • Solstice Dental HMO/PPO
  • Start Healthcare Network
  • Sunshine
  • Sunshine AMBETTER
  • Sunshine Healthy Kids HMO
  • Sunshine Medicaid HMO
  • Sunshine Medicare HMO
  • Tricare South Prime HMO
  • Tricare South Standard PPO
  • United Behavioral Health (UBH)
  • UnitedHealthcare Affiliates
  • UnitedHealthcare Healthy Kids HMO
  • UnitedHealthcare HMO/POS
  • UnitedHealthcare Medicaid HMO
  • UnitedHealthcare Medicare Nursing Home Plan
  • UnitedHealthcare PPO
  • University of Miami Athletic Dept PPO
  • VUMI
  • Wellcare/Staywell Healthy Kids HMO
  • Wellcare/Staywell Medicaid HMO
  • Wexford Health State Inmates
  • Worldwide Managed Care