Mild cognitive impairment (MCA) (synonyms: Age forgetfulness; age-associated memory impairment (AAMI); mild cognitive impairment, MCI; ICD-10-GM F06.7: Mild cognitive impairment) refers to an impairment of thinking ability that is beyond what is normal according to the age and education of the affected person, but does not represent a significant disability in everyday life.
Mild cognitive impairment (LKB) represents a clinical condition between cognitively normal elders and dementia.
Sex ratio: males and females are equally affected.
Frequency peak: mild cognitive impairment occurs predominantly from the age of 60 (can also occur earlier!).
The prevalence (disease frequency) is between 8 and 25%. In the group of 60- to 64-year-old patients, the prevalence is 8-14%; in the age group older than 85 years, the prevalence is about 17-25%.Based on high-quality studies on the prevalence of MCI (mild cognitive impairment, MCI), the guideline authors Petersen et al. were able to report the following prevalences for mild cognitive impairment depending on age: 6.7% in 60- to 64-year-olds, 8.4% in 65- to 69-year-olds, and 10.1% in the age group 70 to 74 years. According to these data, mild cognitive impairment affects almost 15% of 75- to 79-year-olds and more than a quarter of 80- to 84-year-olds.
The incidence (frequency of new cases) is 200 to 1,500 per 100,000 population per year for people 65 and older. For those 75 years and older, the incidence is 5,400 per 100,000 population per year.
Progression and prognosis: Mild cognitive impairment progresses to dementia in up to 20% within a year. Because senile forgetfulness is in some cases a precursor of dementia, medical evaluation is always required.
Comorbidities (concomitant diseases): according to one study, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is associated with more severe depressive symptoms, reduced quality of life, and poorer overall cognitive health.
