What is the difference between mild cognitive impairment and forgetfulness of dementia patients exceeding 1 million?

Oct 01, 2024

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As an aging society progresses rapidly, the number of dementia patients is also increasing every year. According to the report 'Korea Dementia Status 2023' released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the estimated number of dementia patients this year has exceeded 1 million, and the number of dementia patients is expected to increase every year.

Memory, language ability, concentration, and emotion regulation ability are all called cognitive functions of the brain. As we get older, cognitive function declines gradually and is said to be a process of aging, but this process can lead to mild cognitive impairment, forgetfulness, and dementia.

Mild cognitive impairment is characterized by memory loss and forgetting the event itself, and it can also be accompanied by changes in personality or psychotic behavior in the pre-dementia stage, affecting daily life. In the case of forgetfulness, it is characterized by temporarily failing to remember or slowing down the memory, but if you give a hint, you will notice it immediately and do not interfere with your daily life. Most people misunderstand it because they have similar symptoms of mild cognitive impairment and forgetfulness, so if you are usually forgetful, you should get an accurate examination.

Lee Bit-na, director of the Brain Neurology Center at Incheon Nanuri Hospital, explained, "If the frequency of forgetting is frequent, it is better to suspect mild cognitive impairment rather than simple forgetfulness." "Even if it is forgetful, it can be mild cognitive impairment depending on the symptoms, and if it is left unattended, it can lead to dementia, so caution is needed, and if forgetful symptoms worsen, it is better to visit the hospital for an accurate diagnosis."

In fact, the incidence of dementia is only 1-2%, but mild cognitive impairment is known to lead to dementia as it reaches 10-15%. However, not all mild disorders lead to dementia, and it is a disease that can be prevented if you receive regular tests along with brain activity, regular exercise, and healthy eating habits.

Typical lifestyle habits that damage the brain are stress, depression, fatigue, and sleep deprivation. If mental and physical stress or depression are found and solved, some mild cognitive impairment symptoms can be alleviated, and blood flow in the brain should be paid attention to blood vessels and blood flow, just as blood sugar is managed to prevent the brain from being overworked.

Lee Bitna exaggerated "Mild cognitive impairment can be caused by a number of causes"If degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer's disease are confirmed, it is more likely to develop into dementia, so proper management of vascular risk factors such as hypertension and diabetes is required." "Patients with mild cognitive impairment should be examined after worrying about whether their symptoms are dementia."In order to evaluate cognitive decline, detailed interviews and neuropsychological tests that objectively measure the patient's cognitive function are required. "