AARP: Mild Cognitive Impairment—What You Need to Know

AARP recently interviewed Sarah Kremen, MD, who leads the Alzheimer’s Disease Clinical Trial Program in the Department of Neurology at Cedars-Sinai, about mild cognitive impairment, a condition distinct from normal aging that can progress to dementia.

Mild cognitive impairment affects about 8 million people over age 65. Symptoms include routinely losing items, forgetting the date or time of year, or having difficulty maintaining a conversation. The condition is underdiagnosed because physicians historically have followed the outdated view that cognitive decline cannot be treated or have conflated the symptoms with signs of normal aging.

“At the beginning, it may not be easy to tease those people apart,” Kremen said.

Kremen also told AARP that there’s a long list of causes for mild cognitive impairment.

“It could be anxiety or depression, it could be a thyroid problem, it could be multiple medications interacting with each other and causing cognitive difficulties,” she said.

If someone notices a subtle change in memory or thinking, experts recommend seeing a primary care physician. The physician may refer the patient to a neurologist, who can use cognitive assessments or biomarkers to diagnose mild cognitive impairment.

Kremen said the goal is to identify cognitive decline “as early as possible, to begin to initiate proper treatment.”

Although there is no specific treatment for mild cognitive impairment, drugs used for early-stage Alzheimer’s disease—lecanemab and donanemab—may be prescribed.

Lifestyle changes can help prevent cognitive decline. Experts recommend regular moderate- to high-intensity exercise, eating a diet of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and staying socially engaged.

Read the complete article from AARP.