Who hasn't had the experience of forgetting the ice cubes on the counter, or wondering just why you walked into a room? Unless you live a very regimented life, the odds are that you're one with the rest of us who experience these odd moments of forgetting. Some forgetfulness just seems to go along with our busy lives. It's normal.

If you're noticing more serious memory lapses in yourself or someone you know well, it could be something a bit more worrisome.

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is the term professionals use to describe short-term memory loss that is greater than what could be described as "normal" for a particular individual. If someone has never been good at remembering names, then forgetting names is not remarkable. However, if that same person has always kept a balanced checkbook and is now having trouble reconciling the bank statement, this would be "abnormal" for that person.

Mild Cognitive Impairment may become apparent to the person with the problem and to those who know the person very well, but frequently is not initially obvious to others. The person with MCI is able to compensate for memory losses by making lots of notes, voluntarily giving up more complicated tasks before errors become obvious, and relying on family members to fill the gaps. Eventually, however, Mild Cognitive Impairment will become more obvious to even those who don't know a person well.

Some common signs of possible Mild Cognitive Impairment:

     Repeating questions or stories more often;
 
     Misplacing important documents or papers that in the past were always neatly organized
     and filed;
 
     Making more errors with the checkbook and bank statements;
 
     Declining interest in complex pursuits such as hobbies;
 
     Increasing difficulty finding new places, even with the aid of a map.
 

Just as there can be many causes of dementia, Mild Cognitive Impairment has been associated with not only the early stages of Alzheimer's Disease, but also with brain injury, vascular dementia, and psychiatric conditions such as depression.

No one really knows what causes MCI. However, it appears that approximately 15% of those diagnosed with MCI will go on to develop Alzheimer's Disease or another dementia causing illness within four years.

There is no treatment for Mild Cognitive Impairment at present. Some doctors will prescribe one or more of the same medications used to treat the symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease, but according to the literature there have not been significant verifiable results in either slowing or stopping the progression of MCI.

Even though there is no effective treatment for Mild Cognitive Impairment, it is still important to have a thorough medical checkup if you suspect MCI. Many medical conditions can cause memory changes, and it is important to rule out anything treatable. A thorough medical exam will also create a "baseline" against which later examinations can be compared. This will give everyone a good idea of the extent of cognitive changes over time.

If MCI does, indeed, appear to be confirmed after a complete medical workup, you will have the opportunity to get your legal and financial "ducks" lined up while the person with MCI is able to take an active role in making decisions. Even if the impairment never progresses any further, it can be a great relief to have these things taken care of in a non-emergency fashion.