It is a transitional stage between normal aging and the earliest stage at which Alzheimer’s disease can be diagnosed from – a precursor of Alzheimer’s disease in which the everyday practical skills are still unaffected. The term mild cognitive impairment was first used in the late 1980s by Reisberg and colleagues to describe persons who have demonstrated impairments that still corresponded with no specific diagnosis. This stage mild cognitive impairment (referred to as „MCI“) defines a condition in elderly people who have cognitive impairments – but these are not sufficient for a diagnosis of dementia. The concept of MCI is however seen as a pathological condition and not as a manifestation of normal aging.
Studies indicate that 10% to 20% of all people aged 65 and over suffer from mild cognitive impairment, and about 10% to 15% of patients per year probably develop dementia. So a mild cognitive impairment is indeed associated with the risk inherent in developing dementia, but not everyone diagnosed with MCI develops dementia as a result. MCI is seen as a heterogeneous syndrome that may be a harbinger of possible dementia.