Cognitive Impairment: Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment

Mild cognitive impairment, also known as incipient dementia, or isolated memory impairment, is a diagnosis given to individuals who have cognitive impairments beyond that expected for their age and education, but that do not interfere significantly with their daily activities. It is considered to be the boundary or transitional stage between normal ageing and dementia. Although MCI can present with a variety of symptoms, when memory loss is the predominant symptom it is termed 'amnestic MCI' and is frequently seen as a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. Studies suggest that these individuals tend to progress to probable Alzheimer's disease at a rate of approximately 10 per cent to 15 per cent per year. Additionally, when individuals have impairments in domains other than memory it is classified as non-amnestic single- or multiple-domain MCI and these individuals are believed to be more likely to convert to other dementias. This book gathers the latest research from around the globe in this field and highlights related topics such as: cognitive aspects in epilepsy, cognitive impairment in children with ADHD, therapies for Alzheimer's disease, foetal alcohol spectrum disorders, and others.