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State of the science on mild cognitive impairment (MCI)
Anderson ND.. CNS spectrums, 2019-01-17
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) represents a transitional stage between healthy aging and dementia, and affects 10-15% of the population over the age of 65. The failure of drug trials in Alzheimer's disease (AD) treatment has shifted researchers' focus toward delaying progression from MCI to dementia, which would reduce the prevalence and costs of dementia profoundly. Diagnostic criteria for MCI increasingly emphasize the need for positive biomarkers to detect preclinical AD. The phenomenology of MCI comprises lower quality-of-life, greater symptoms of depression, and avoidant coping strategies including withdrawal from social engagement. Neurobiological features of MCI are hypoperfusion and hypometabolism in temporoparietal cortices, medial temporal lobe atrophy particularly in rhinal cortices, elevated tau and phosphorylated tau and decreased Aβ42 in cerebrospinal fluid, and brain Aβ42 deposition. Elevated tau can be identified in MCI, particularly in the entorhinal cortex, using positron emission tomography, and analysis of signal complexity using electroencephalography or magnetoencephalography holds promise as a biomarker. Assessment of MCI also relies on cognitive screening and neuropsychological assessment, but there is an urgent need for standardized cognitive tests to capitalize on recent discoveries in cognitive neuroscience that may lead to more sensitive measures of MCI. Cholinesterase inhibitors are frequently prescribed for MCI, despite the lack of evidence for their efficacy. Exercise and diet interventions hold promise for increasing reserve in MCI, and group psychoeducational programs teaching practical memory strategies appear effective. More work is needed to better understand the phenomenology and neurobiology of MCI, and how best to assess it and delay progression to dementia.
Key findings
- Elevated tau can be identified in MCI, particularly in the entorhinal cortex, using positron emission tomography, and analysis of signal complexity using electroencephalography or magnetoencephalography holds promise as a biomarker.
- Assessment of MCI also relies on cognitive screening and neuropsychological assessment, but there is an urgent need for standardized cognitive tests to capitalize on recent discoveries in cognitive neuroscience that may lead to more sensitive measures of MCI.
- Cholinesterase inhibitors are frequently prescribed for MCI, despite the lack of evidence for their efficacy.
- Exercise and diet interventions hold promise for increasing reserve in MCI, and group psychoeducational programs teaching practical memory strategies appear effective.
- More work is needed to better understand the phenomenology and neurobiology of MCI, and how best to assess it and delay progression to dementia.
Why it matters
This review describes MCI as a transitional stage between healthy aging and dementia, and notes that failure of drug trials in Alzheimer's disease treatment has shifted focus toward delaying progression from MCI to dementia. It reports that elevated tau can be identified in MCI, particularly in the entorhinal cortex, using positron emission tomography, and that there is an urgent need for standardized cognitive tests.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 51/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (CNS spectrums) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | CNS Spectrums: journal h-index 117 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2019 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 544 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 60.4 citations a year over 9 year(s) since 2019 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 21.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 16 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 4 / 4 | Cited 319 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Nicole D. Anderson: h-index 47 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Toronto: institution h-index 1,923 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 30651152) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 51 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Anderson, N. D. (2019). State of the science on mild cognitive impairment (MCI). CNS spectrums. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1092852918001347
Vancouver
Anderson ND. State of the science on mild cognitive impairment (MCI). CNS spectrums. 2019. doi:10.1017/s1092852918001347. PMID: 30651152.
BibTeX
@article{anderson2019-30651152,
author = {Anderson, N. D.},
title = {{State of the science on mild cognitive impairment (MCI)}},
journal = {CNS spectrums},
year = {2019},
doi = {10.1017/s1092852918001347},
pmid = {30651152},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1017/s1092852918001347}
}
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