A Simple Guide to Mild Cognitive Impairment, Diagnosis, Treatment and Related Conditions

This book describes Mild Cognitive Impairment (Forgetfulness), Diagnosis and Treatment and Related Diseases which is seen in some of my patients in my Family Clinic.

I was watching a film the other day called ‘Head full of Honey” about a young 10 year old granddaughter who watched her grandfather becoming forgetful and sinking into a later dementia (described by the grandfather as head full of honey) and took him on road trip to Venice to cheer him up.

The grandfather went through the different stages of dementia finally leading to death but not before his granddaughter helped him have a fulfilling life and uniting her parents at the same time.

I feel that more people should watch such films on dementia as more and more people live to an old age and are likely to develop dementia or cognitive impairment.

I have many patients who have dementia.

Some are very passive and non-communicative while others kept on calling their children on their phones.

“Those with dementia are still people, and they still have stories, and they still have character, and they’re all individuals, and they’re all unique. And they just need to be interacted with on a human level”. -Carey Mulligan

“Remember, the dementia patient is not giving you a hard time. The dementia patient is having a hard time.”

“When you deal with a person who is experiencing dementia, you can see where they’re struggling with knowledge. You can see what they forget completely, what they forget, but they know what they once knew. You can tell how they’re trying to remember. -Walter Mosley

“With something like cancer, there is a feeling that you can fight it in some way or control your response to it, but with dementia, there is the fear of losing control of your mind and your life.” -Kevin Whately.

"Mild cognitive impairment" is a general term that may be used to depict subtle changes in cognitive function that are not severe enough to be diagnosed as a specific cognitive disorder but are noticeable and concerning to the person or their loved ones.

Mild cognitive impairment is a medical syndrome in which the person shows a mild but noticeable and measurable decrease in cognitive abilities, such as memory, judgment, and language and thinking skills that are higher than normal age-related changes, but the loss does not momentously disrupt the ability to handle everyday activities.

Mild cognitive impairment is a transitional stage between normal cognitive alterations that may happen with age and more serious symptoms that suggest dementia.

If the person has mild cognitive impairment, the person may be conscious that the memory or mental function has “declined.”

The family and close friends may also observe a change.

People with mild cognitive impairment normally can look after themselves and do their normal activities.

Mild cognitive impairment is featured by problems with memory, language, thinking or judgment.

People with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have a higher risk of developing dementia.

There is no distinct cause of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and no single prognosis for the disorder.

Common causes are age-related changes, neurodegenerative states (such as Alzheimer's disease), vascular issues, medicines, depression, and anxiety.

Main symptoms are: Forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, mild confusion or subtle changes in cognitive function.

Lifestyle interventions such as regular physical exercise, a balanced diet, adequate sleep, and mental stimulation can support cognitive health.

TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction
Chapter 1 Mild Cognitive Impairment
Chapter 2 Cause
Chapter 3 Symptoms
Chapter 4 Diagnosis
Chapter 5 Treatment
Chapter 6 Prognosis
Chapter 7 Alzheimer’s Disease
Chapter 8 Vascular Dementia
Epilogue