What’s the Difference Between Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Dementia?

@dorisena a lot of this sounds familiar. My hubby is very suspicious and it has been impossible to get him a good diagnosis. Doctors don't see him at his worst. The verbal anger recently turned physical and he swung his walker at me 3 or 4 times. I was surprised he didn't fall. A few days later he was diagnosed with a uti and I think that may have been the culprit. I'm in Washington state and a social worker told us that my mom could call Adult Protective Services if we needed help putting him into memory care. Fortunately, he didn't fight uson this. I wonder if your state has a similar agency? Maybe your dr. can refer you to a social worker?

Praying you get to a safe place. One should not have to live in fear like this.

@bethyh79 - thanks for your comment and question. The comprehensive neuropsychological assessment is the gold standard for evaluating thinking/memory problems. For someone your husband's age, many neuropsychologists will be mindful to keep the testing visit as short as possible, so it really may not be a 5 hour appointment. Most of my patients are in the clinic for more like 3 hours total (including time spent talking with me outside of testing). Many people find it extremely helpful to understand the specific areas of cognitive functioning that are impacted, and to what degree (mild, moderate, severe). The neuropsychologist can also give lots of non-medication recommendations to you and your husband, which sounds like something you may be interested in. Hope this is helpful for you!

Thank you so much for the information. You have given me lots to think about. A neuropsychologist is different than a neurologist so I would have to go to a different doctor.

Thanks again.

@anneshanderaochsner I had to wait almost 5 months to see a Neuropsychologist this year. I did the test and the discussion with the doctor. His opinion was that I have LB Dementia instead of Alzheimer’s. However my neurologist tossed off that diagnosis. They won’t share the report with me.
I am waiting for an appointment with a new neurologist.
I feel like a football. When a person is going through the process of diagnosis of suspected dementia they are stressed out. Having a doctor who respects, and honors your emotions is healing.

xxx YES AND A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN… xxx
Yes of: MCI < > dementia, but ravin of saying or hearing or misunderstanding for TBI people, like me. Yes, I’m weak in my brain. It’s it too easy getting a diagnosis of “dementia” for brain-injuries?

xxx 3 DIFFERENCES? xxx
1. MCI - Mild Cognitive Impairment
That’s me! But where’s that word “Mild”? What does that mean? Sure, no jail-time for me; no hitting people for me; no yelling… ok, there’s a few, little ones; no cussing - just a few; writing horrible, lousy, uggg writing, that’s me 🙂

Hey, who remember the early Microsoft Windows’, decades ago, when for 🙂 instead today’s picture of funny?

2. Dementia - I hate that word, but “marked by the development of multiple cognitive defective” . The Latin word was written as “demens from de-without men” - madness… oh boy… I’m there, but really small - tiny… I hope 🙂

3. TBI - Brain-Injury: accidents, playing football, falling down, being shot or hit, playing for boxing, and on. Yes, that makes me too easy of anything. My mom - who’s gone - had several sisters with dementia before. My mom had that but we saw that 15 year before stared: loss of memory, anger, upset by talking, and others. Do I selling my mom’s way from my 12 years ago accident?

Hey, that was that day of loss of memory, anger, upset, loss of words of talking, knowing, or hearing. I’ve been there, but my life went to the opposite than my mom. I thank God has given my human-life for now with my wife, families, and friends. Yes, I lost some of this: 80% of my knowledge & use of my brain; ability to drive back (what happens of no more driving of store, meds, traveling?).

Well thx guys,
Greg D. @greg1956

Oh my, Your words could have been mine. Thank you for explaining it so beautifully. Unfortunately it has taken me several years to learn healthy responses to what looks like stubbornness or unloving actions from my husband. We are doing much better due to my support groups and lots of reading & podcasts on dementia. While he is still independent after 12 years i do see cognitive decline. The best example is the inability to take old learned info, add it to new info, to create a new outcome. Holding on to the new info long enough to create a plan to fix something has very low odds.
Cleaning a gutter is easy, fixing a gutter, takes days and then its a poor outcome if its completed at all.
Do you hear phrases like “lets work together. lets think about that.” Im wondering if those are ways to fill holes in the thought process?
Lastly, does your husband need to have the final word in all conversation or even a comment about something in general? Instead or agreeing or validating my thoughts he says “OR and then says something similar.
Thanks again for your wise comments.
Hugs

I’m praying for your safety janeeejane!
My MCI husband also wanted a gun. I was very oppressed due to his condition but he went ahead with the application. However i found the permit to buy before he purchased. I hid it and now he believes he missed placed the form and a gun is no longer brought up.
ALZ association calls it necessary fibs.

My husband, side of the family and my side of the family have had family members variously diagnosed with MCI, Alzheimer’s and dementia. In almost every family member on both sides who has been diagnosed over the past 10 year window, the initial diagnosis was MCI and as the infirmity progressed, it became dementia and or Alzheimer’s. I am confident that there are some people who have a true diagnosis of MCI and maintain that throughout their lives. I also think that in the earlier stages of dementia and Alzheimer’s patients are often classified as MCI and then progress into dementia. I suspect that there is not a clear cut Difference between early stage dementia and true MCI. That has been our experience anyhow.

What are the tests that are given with the assessment. My husband had an appointment with a Neuropsychologist on 3/20. He was taken to room (without me) for a 2.5 hour test. After 1 hour ,the person that was giving the test (not the Neuropsychologist) came out to the waiting room and told me my husband decided not to continue.
She then told me that the Neuropsychologist wanted to talk to my husband and myself. For the next hour she asked many questions about daily life, family history. My husband kept telling her to ask me. She then asked if my husband wanted to continue with the test( for another 2 hours).
He said no. On the way home he was so confused about what transpired that day.
He told me all he remembered was being woke up in a hospital room. He mentioned that the drugs they gave him must have been really good. He mentioned that he didn't remember waking up that morning. He wasn't given any medication and was present all day
It was like his memory of that day got erased. I have never witnessed that with him. Something triggered his memory to go away for the that day.
The scheduler is supposed to call and setup another appointment to finish the test. Not sure If I want him to go thru that again.
Have you ever heard of any patients having this kind of reaction.

He 70 years old