Mild Cognitive Impairment Represents Early-Stage Alzheimer Disease

Abstract

MILD COGNITIVE impairment (MCI) is conceptualized as a boundary or transitional state between aging and dementia.¹ Memory deficit is both the usual complaint in MCI and the cardinal feature of Alzheimer disease (AD). The major focus of MCI research has been to distinguish individuals who will progress to AD from those who will not.^1-9 Interest in MCI has been stimulated by the hope that pharmacologic intervention at this stage may delay or prevent progression to AD.¹⁰ Multicenter trials of cholinesterase inhibitor drugs and other agents with putative benefit for AD already are being conducted in individuals with MCI.