Director's blog
院長日記

If you think you may have mild cognitive impairment (MCI) Part 1: MCI screening test

武本 重毅

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an intermediate stage between normal and dementia.

It does not interfere with daily life, but if left untreated,

more than half of them will progress to dementia in about five years.

 

Recent studies have shown that

appropriate prevention and treatment at the stage of MCI can prevent or delay the onset of dementia.

 

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia.

About 20 years before the onset of dementia,

the main causative substance, amyloid β peptide (Aβ), begins to accumulate in the brain,

and cognitive function gradually declines.

Currently,

there are drugs that can prevent the progression of dementia symptoms for a certain period of time,

but fundamental therapeutic drugs are still under development.

 

It is important to prevent disease

before it occurs, not to treat it after it occurs.

 

Let’s prevent dementia before it happens.

 

Alzheimer’s disease develops

when a waste product called amyloid β peptide (Aβ) accumulates in the brain

and destroys nerve cells.

 

MCI screening test” is a blood test

that measures the risk of MCI, a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease.

 

This test determines the risk of MCI

by examining three proteins in the blood

that have the function of eliminating amyloid β peptide (Aβ).

 

Author:

武本 重毅

聚楽内科クリニックの院長、医学博士。