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Aging causes deterioration of various aspects of memory performance in normal adults. In recent years, a great deal of interest has been generated around the concept of a boundary or transitional state between normal aging and dementia or, more specifically, Alzheimer’s disease(AD). This condition has received a number of descriptions including incipient dementia, questionable dementia, age-associated cognitive decline, isolated memory impairment and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Commonly accepted guidelines for MCI have been establishedmemory complaint, preferably corroborated by an informant, objective memory impairment for age and education, normal general cognition, preserved activities of daily living, and not demented. The precise definitions need to be explicated, but these will probably simply be a refinement of a concept, rather than a major re-definition. Importantly, clinical and neurobiological evidence suggests that patients with MCI are at an increased risk for developing AD. Current research efforts are geared towards intervention strategies aimed at preventing the development of AD among persons with MCI.
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