No, This Is Not Normal Aging.

• Author: Macmillan, Carrie
• Position: MIND & BODY

"For those diagnosed with [mild cognitive impairment], within one year, 10% to 15% of them will go on to develop dementia ... and one-third of those with MCI will develop Alzheimer's disease ... within five years."

WE all have walked into a room, only to have forgotten exactly why we are there, or perhaps our ability to recall names of long-lost friends or classmates is not quite what it used to be. These are normal signs of aging, but if such events begin to occur more frequently or escalate, then it could be mild cognitive impairment, often called MCI, an early stage of memory--or cognitive ability--loss in people who can still independently perform most daily activities. It affects about 10,000,000 people in the U.S.

For those diagnosed with MCI, within one year, 10% to 15% of them will go on to develop dementia, a general term for loss of memory and other mental abilities that is severe enough to interfere with daily life--and one-third of those with MCI will develop Alzheimer's disease (the most common form of dementia) within five years.

Seeking medical attention for signs of MCI is important because it may be caused by something that easily can be reversed, such as a medication or a medical condition, says Carolyn Fredericks, a Yale University Medicine neurologist who specializes in cognitive and behavioral conditions. "For example, someone's thyroid could not be functioning properly. That's something we can treat, and then they get better--or someone might have severe sleep apnea, which is shocking in terms of how much cognitive impairment it can cause."

Yet, according to an Alzheimer's Association survey, just 40% of respondents said they would see a doctor if they experienced MCI symptoms. This is unfortunate, Fredericks notes, because whether it is a condition that can be fixed or not, there are clinical trials patients can enroll in that might offer treatment options they would not otherwise have. "More and more, we are able to use tests to identify biomarkers, like spinal fluid testing or new imaging methods to see the earliest stages of Alzheimer's pathology. That can be helpful, though it is ethically complicated. Would someone want that information if they can't do anything about it?--but for patients who come to us interested in drug trials, the early stages of a process like this might be the right place to intervene with some of the newer drugs that are being developed."

Fredericks adds: "Basically, mild cognitive...