What to Know About Mild Cognitive Impairment Treatment

Cognitive decline is a frightening prospect for most people. But experts say there are ways to manage and treat it, especially if it’s caught at an early stage, known as mild cognitive impairment.

Mild cognitive impairment can be a precursor to dementia. People who have M.C.I. show signs of memory loss and other cognitive problems that are beyond what might be considered normal age-related decline, but they are still able to function independently.

Receiving a diagnosis of M.C.I. can cause people a lot of anxiety, but catching cognitive decline at this early stage has several advantages. For one, it allows the person to take an active role in determining what they want the next phase of their life to look like, said Dr. Carolyn Fredericks, an assistant professor of neurology at Yale School of Medicine.

“It can be helpful for families to know what to expect and to start all that legal and financial planning,” Dr. Fredericks said. No one wants to think about that, she added, “but it’s so much better done when somebody is clear of mind and can contribute what they want.”

What’s more, while people with M.C.I. may go on to develop Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias, the progression is not a guarantee. Treating M.C.I. can “prolong that period of being independent by months or years,” said Andrew Kiselica, a neuropsychologist at the University of Missouri who specializes in diagnosing dementia.

Lifestyle Changes and Adjustments

The first step to treating M.C.I. is to search for a biological reason for someone’s symptoms using blood tests, brain scans and other clinical assessments. Many cases of M.C.I. are caused by neurodegenerative diseases, but there are other conditions that can affect cognition, including sleep apnea, depression, hearing loss, cirrhosis of the liver or a vitamin deficiency. “Those sorts of things may be potentially addressed with treatment and potentially reversible,” Dr. Kiselica said.

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