Dear Dr. Donohue Will you please discuss mild cognitive impairment? A family member, 78, is forgetful. He took a battery of tests and was diagnosed as having MCI. Which medical specialist cares for MCI patients? Should other tests be done to be sure of the diagnosis? Are there vitamins one should take? Activities? Which medicine works best? Where do we go for support? Can a patient have MCI for years without developing dementia? J.C.

Answer Mild cognitive impairment is many steps below dementia illnesses such as Alzheimer's, and a few steps above the memory problems that happen to just about everyone your relative's age. People with MCI function quite well. They carry on daily activities without great impairment. They're able to reason, to have insight into what others say and to display the proper emotional reactions to life's many difficulties. Memory isn't what it used to be. MCI might make a person forget a medical or dental appointment or a phone conversation, or not remember the outcome of a sporting event in someone who is a sports aficionado.

Not every MCI patient is doomed to the dementia of Alzheimer's disease. Around 5 percent of those diagnosed with it do progress to Alzheimer's every year.

The family doctor takes care of MCI patients. If a specialist is preferred, a neurologist fits the bill. Your relative has had enough tests to make a reasonable diagnosis. More esoteric tests are limited to centers doing research in dementia. No Food and Drug Administration-approved medicine exists for MCI. Some doctors put their MCI patients on drugs used for Alzheimer's disease, such as Aricept (donepezil). Others wait until a person has obvious signs of Alzheimer's.

No vitamin works. Keep your relative as active as possible. If he has hobbies, encourage him to stay active in them.

A person can have MCI for years and years, and not develop Alzheimer's. You can contact the Alzheimer's Association at 1-800-272-3900 or online at http://www.alz.org. I didn't check with the association, but I'm sure it can provide you with information on MCI.

The booklet on Alzheimer's disease also is helpful. To obtain a copy, write: Dr. Donohue No. 903, Box 536475, Orlando, Fla. 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 with the recipient's printed name and address. Please wait four weeks for delivery.

Write Dr. Donohue at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, Fla. 32853-6475.

Originally posted here:
Cognitive condition is not dementia