Mild Cognitive Impairment
Mild Cognitive Impairment
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) can be an intermediate step between normal age-related cognitive decline and dementia. People with MCI are aware of their cognitive impairment and are able to maintain daily function independently. Symptoms can include:
- Being overwhelmed by planning or decision-making
- Forgetting things more often, or forgetting important things
- Impulsivity and poor judgement
- Losing train of thought
- Trouble navigating familiar environments
MCI can be caused by a number of factors, including:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Enlargement of ventricles, which are fluid-filled spaces in the brain
- Reduction in the brain’s use of glucose for energy
- Shrinking of the hippocampus, an area of the brain that’s important for memory
- Illness, including psychiatric and neurological conditions
- Medications
