Mild Cognitive Impairment Can Be Distinguished From Alzheimer Disease and Normal Aging for Clinical Trials

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Abstract
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) represents a transitional state between healthy aging and very mild Alzheimer disease (AD) and has become the focal point of much research activity.1 Although MCI can present with a variety of symptoms, when memory loss is the predominant symptom it is termed "amnestic MCI" and is frequently a prodromal state of AD.1,2 In this study, MCI refers to amnestic MCI. Patients with MCI have a memory impairment that is out of proportion to that expected for their age, yet they do not meet commonly accepted criteria for dementia or AD. Studies3-8 suggest that these individuals tend to progress to clinically probable AD at a rate of approximately 10% to 15% per year. The American Academy of Neurology, in a recent evidence-based practice parameter on dementia,6 recognized MCI as an important clinical condition to identify and monitor, since several potential treatments for the condition are under investigation.