Primary degenerative mild cognitive impairment: study population, clinical, brain imaging and biochemical findings

Abstract

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a heterogeneous clinical syndrome for which no international diagnostic criteria have yet been established. Longitudinal studies have shown that many individuals who later develop dementia pass through a stage of MCI. We are following up 36 individuals who were initially diagnosed as having the memory-impaired primary degenerative type of MCI and therefore are at high risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Clinical, neuropsychological, brain imaging and CSF biochemical markers were examined. Findings were remarkably heterogeneous even in this highly selected group of patients. This suggests that MCI is aetiologically not uniform.