12 mild cognitive impairment causes

Here is the transcript for this video:
I saw a woman post something in a chat room the other day asking, Now that I’ve been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, when will I progress to dementia?

That’s hard to say, but based on what we know right now, for a lot of people with MCI, they’re never going to progress to dementia because they don’t have dementia.

Something else is causing their cognitive decline. But what might that be? That’s what I want to talk about today.

When I read articles about MCI, I often see it referred to as a quote-unquote “precursor” to dementia or as an “intermediate stage” leading to dementia.

Now, that is true for some people, but for many people, maybe even most people, that’s not the case. We don’t know what percentage of people diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment actually have dementia. But based on several new research studies that I’ve seen in the last few months, it’s probably fair to say that roughly half them will progress to dementia at some poing.

But that means the other half won’t. And here’s the important thing to understand. The cause of that cognitive loss could be a treatable condition, and if it can be identified and addressed, your memory could improve.

So that’s why it’s important to understand what these many other possible other causes of mild cognitive impairment are. And there are a lot of them out there. To help you understand what they are, how to recognize them, and how to seek treatment for them, I have just published an article on 12 common causes of mild cognitive impairment that aren’t dementia.

In today’s video, I’m going to touch on three of them, but you’ll want to read my full article to learn about the rest.

What I’m focusing on are what I think of as the Big Three, because I’m hearing a lot of concern expressed about them these days.

No 1 is overmedication.

The number of people over the age of 65 who take three or more medications has more than doubled since 2004.

People are taking too many medications that react badly with each other and the result can be cognitive impairment.

No 2 is sleep disorders.

Here’s a really important thing to understand. Deep sleep is the only time that the brain doesn’t create the plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease, and it’s the time when the brain washes those plaques away.

If you aren’t sleeping soundly at night, that can greatly hasten cognitive loss.

No 3 is depression.

Depression can result in memory loss that looks like dementia, but isn’t. The symptoms can include confusion, forgetfulness or an inability to concentrate.

Even if the cause of your memory problems isn’t depression, depression and mild cognitive impairment can occur together, and when they do, it’s crucial that the depression be addressed.

All of the conditions are treatable, but there are many, many other potential causes of mild cognitive impairment, that are not dementia, and I address them in my article as well. All of them also are treatable. They include everything from vitamin deficiencies to hearing loss to a thyroid condition called subclinical hypothyroidism.

Along with the information in the article, you can get a guide to recommended resources for any of these conditions, so you can learn more, and take steps to protect your cognition.

I hope you find this information helpful, and I hope to see you again next week. Until then, as always, be kind to your mind.

This site is educational, and is not intended as medical advice. It offers information about lifestyle choices that have been proven to help protect cognition. Always consult your doctor before making changes that can impact your health.

[mariettaburdo]

thanks for the video really taught me alot about my symptoms looking forward to more, Thanks

[themulticraftsinnovator]

I really appreciate you, Your videos are fantastic!! Thank you so much!!

[starladoak]

Can a concussion that had blood coming out of ear from semi wreck cause mild cognitive impairment

[Sumit_Girhe]

Im 17 & having memory loss & difficulty in thinking since just 2 months.. im a healthy boy preparing for exam..
My vitamin B12 is 193 pg/ml & not exposed to sunlight since 6 months.. is this due to this ??

[adamcuspaspears]

Do you have information on why some days are worse than others? Days where speech and ability to walk and maintain balance are worse. Days where everyday tasks are harder than others?

[millionsubscriberswithnov]

I'm 18 I got ADHD I'm cognitively impaired and learning disabilities

[lloydlopez]

Does marijuana make symptoms of mci worse??

[alexandertenenbein]

Can ptsd and severe dissociation cause mild cognitive impairment?

[ashlylarkin]

Hello! I have been diagnosed with MCI, and I'm currently seventeen years old. I was wondering if it can be caused by premature birth. I was born within six months instead of nine.