What are the signs and symptoms of mild cognitive impairment?

A person with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) experiences difficulties with one or more of the following mental domains / processes:

• Memory
• Reasoning
• Language
• Attention
• Ability to perform simple drawings

For example, a person with MCI may repeat the same question, be easily distracted or find it difficult to think plans through, make errors while using the telephone or household appliances, and it may take them longer to find the word they want to use when speaking.

Other common symptoms include depression, anxiety, irritability and disinterest. Being unsociable, or seeing or hearing things that are not there, have also been observed as less common symptoms of MCI and it is called Mild Behavioral Impairment.

A person with suspected MCI may themselves notice any of these symptoms, or they may be noticed or mentioned by someone who knows the person. Although they may need some assistance carrying out certain tasks, like driving, MCI does not affect a person’s daily activities significantly.

Talk to a doctor if you or someone close to you is experiencing any of these symptoms: