Mild cognitive impairment can be self-assessed with the help of friends and relatives. It can be observed that there will be a broken chain of thoughts, working ability declines; your memory impairment will be higher when compared to your age and education. Mild cognitive impairment is different from dementia.[1]
What Is The Best Treatment For Mild Cognitive Impairment?
There are a number of treatment options for people suffering from dementia, but for people with mild cognitive impairment, there are no FDA approved treatments. A number of studies are being carried out to identify the drugs as an effective option for treating mild cognitive impairment. Presently, many alternative measures are being prescribed for mild cognitive impairment, here we provide you with a brief of it.
Medicines
As there are no definite best treatment options for mild cognitive impairment, doctors tend to prescribe medicines of Alzheimer’s disease i.e. “cholinesterase inhibitors.” These medicines are used “off-label” and seem to have beneficial effects in many patients. The doctors analyze the risk-benefit ratio before prescribing these medicines as Alzheimer’s drugs come with a greater risk of side-effects.[2]
Food Supplements
Certain food supplements such as fish oil, cocoa flavanols, certain B vitamins, turmeric, vinpocetine, huperzine A, CoQ10, & acetyl-L-carnitine have been found to improve cognitive function in people suffering from mild cognitive impairment.
Certain forms of choline are also found to be effective in improving memory in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.[3]
Vitamin E and ginkgo biloba have also been used to improve symptoms of memory loss, but there is no strong clinical evidence for the same.[4]
Lifestyle Changes
The memory function can be preserved by making lifestyle changes, which not only improves overall health but also improves the functioning of the brain
Regular Physical Exercise. Physical activity increases the flow of blood in the body and also the brain which provides nutrients. Deficiency of nutrients results in mild cognitive impairment and improved circulation can prevent or slow cognitive decline.
Healthy Diet. Include lots of fruits and vegetables in the diet, eat heart-healthy food which is high in good fat and low in bad fat. Omega-3 fatty acids are good for both heart and brain.[5] Consume food rich in omega-3 fatty acids to improve cognition.
Increasing Brain Activity. Keeping engaged in the activities which involve intellectual stimulation can help prevent cognitive decline. Engage yourself in playing games, reading books and other intellectual activities. It helps in preventing cognitive decline and preserving memory. Cognitive training will also be an effective tool.[6] Social engaging activities help in sustaining brain function.
Disease-Related Mild Cognitive Impairment
Brain and heart work in coordination with each other; try to have normal blood pressure, blood sugar, and lipid levels.
Withdrawal of the drugs such as anticholinergic medicines, benzodiazepines, Opiate pain medications, antipsychotics, and mood-stabilizer drugs can cause mild cognitive impairment, once I drugs are withdrawn the person’s cognition is restored.[7]
People diagnosed with hormonal imbalance and improper thyroid hormones levels also suffer from cognitive issues, once the hormone levels are within normal limits, mild cognitive impairment is restored.
Girls deficient in iron also show signs and symptoms of mild cognitive impairment and giving iron supplements improves their learning and memory.[8]
The patients suffering from mild cognitive impairment should be evaluated every 6 months to check the increase or decrease in the cognitive function. Untreated mild cognitive impairment increases the risk of developing dementia. It is difficult to predict the cause of mild cognitive impairment and the correct medical treatment for mild cognitive impairment depending upon the cause. There has been increased research to identify the brain changes in patients with mild cognitive impairment and the measures to be taken to improve memory and cognition.
Conclusion
There are no FDA approved treatment for mild cognitive impairment, there is only symptomatic treatment. The best treatment option for patients with mild cognitive impairment is maintaining a healthy lifestyle and takes dietary supplements to help improve memory and cognition. A regular exercise improves circulation and nourishes your brain for better functioning. In certain cases of mild cognitive impairment, doctors prescribe Alzheimer’s drugs after analyzing the side effect profile. Identifying the underlying cause of mild cognitive impairment is an important tool in helping such patients.
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mild-cognitive-impairment/symptoms-causes/syc-20354578
- https://www.spandidos-publications.com/10.3892/mmr.2019.10374
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29171642/#:~:text=Ginkgo%20biloba%20is%20one%20of,different%20diseases%2C%20including%20cognitive%20impairment.
- https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/supplement-guide-ginkgo-biloba
- https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000767.htm#:~:text=Omega%2D3%20fatty%20acids%20are,you%20already%20have%20heart%20disease.
- https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2019.00212/full#:~:text=The%20results%20showed%20that%20cognitive,p%20%3C%200.001)%20was%20significant.
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/8668594_Persistence_of_cognitive_effects_after_withdrawal_from_long-term_benzodiazepine_use_A_meta-analysis
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4235202/
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