The status of ongoing trials for mild cognitive impairment

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a term used to describe memory decline o r other specific cognitive impairment in individuals who do not have dement ia or significant impairment of other cognitive functions beyond that expec ted for their age or education. It has been suggested that as much as 38% o f the elderly population would meet criteria for MCI and although the assoc iated memory deficits are mild, the fact that up to 15% of MCI patients, pa rticularly those with a particular type of memory impairment, convert to Al zheimer's disease (AD) annually has prompted serious attention. Despite the high conversion rate, MCI cannot be used synonymously with early or mild A D, as patients with AD are impaired not only in memory performance but in o ther cognitive domains as well; they meet diagnostic criteria for dementia. However, since there is a high conversion rate from MCI to AD, it is likel y many with MCI have the underlying neuropathology of AD, though they do no t yet meet clinical diagnostic criteria. Therefore. treatment strategies de veloped for AD, specifically acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and Cox-2 inhi bitors, have been among the first employed to treat MCI. it is hoped that b y impeding the progression of MCI in this manner, fewer patients will conve rt to AD. This article will give a brief overview of the condition of mild cognitive impairment and an account of trial methodology and current treatm ent strategies being employed for MCI.