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

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a heterogeneous clinical syndrome for wh ich no international diagnostic criteria have yet been established. Longitu dinal studies have shown that many individuals who later develop dementia p ass through a stage of MCI. We are following up 36 individuals who were ini tially diagnosed as having the memory-impaired primary degenerative type of MCI and therefore are at high risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Clin ical, neuropsychological, brain imaging and CSF biochemical markers were ex amined. Findings were remarkably heterogeneous even in this highly selected group of patients. This suggests that MCI is aetiologically not uniform. C opyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.