139 – How to Treat Mild Cognitive Impairment

Dr. K explains mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and discusses scientifically tested approaches to treating this memory condition, including the role of medications, supplements, hearing support, Leqembi and more.

Dr. Kernisan explains what all older adults and families should know about the treatment of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a common memory condition that affects 20-25% of older adults. She  discusses scientifically tested approaches to treating and managing MCI and improving brain health, including the role of medications, supplements, treating hearing loss, exercise and more. In this episode, she covers:

What is MCI 
How MCI is related to Alzheimer’s and dementia
What to do if you suspect MCI
Scientifically proven approaches to treating and managing MCI 
What to know about the “Bredesen protocol” for MCI
What to know about Leqembi and anti-amyloid treatments for Alzheimer’s
How Dr. K treats MCI
Common MCI pitfalls to avoid

Related episode: 

138 – How to Promote Brain Health & Memory in Aging
069 – Evaluating Memory & Thinking Problems: 10 Causes & 10 Things to Check

Related Resources:

Useful references and resources:

Alzheimers.gov: Find Clinical Trials
BHWA: How to Diagnose & Treat Mild Cognitive Impairment

Scholarly resources:

Estimating the Prevalence of Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment in the US: The 2016 Health and Retirement Study Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol Project (2022)
Revised Criteria for Diagnosis and Staging of Alzheimer’s Disease: Alzheimer’s Association Workgroup
Practice guideline update summary: Mild cognitive impairment: Report of the Guideline Development, Dissemination, and Implementation Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology
Association of Hearing Aids and Cochlear Implants With Cognitive Decline and Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
A 2 year multidomain intervention of diet, exercise, cognitive training, and vascular risk monitoring versus control to prevent cognitive decline in at-risk elderly people (FINGER): a randomised controlled trial (2015)
Effects of Exercise Alone or Combined With Cognitive Training and Vitamin D Supplementation to Improve Cognition in Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Clinical Trial (2023)
Lifestyle Risk Factors and Cognitive Outcomes from the Multidomain Dementia Risk Reduction Randomized Controlled Trial, Body Brain Life for Cognitive Decline (BBL-CD) (2020)
Effect of Personalized Risk-Reduction Strategies on Cognition and Dementia Risk Profile Among Older Adults: The SMARRT Randomized Clinical Trial (2024)
Effectiveness of a 6-year multidomain vascular care intervention to prevent dementia (preDIVA): a cluster-randomised controlled trial (2016)
Lecanemab in Early Alzheimer’s Disease (2023)

Critiques of the Bredesen protocol:

Can we trust The End of Alzheimer’s?
Bredesen Protocol offers false hope of reversing Alzheimer’s disease
Scholarly description of the Bredesen protocol: Precision Medicine Approach to Alzheimer’s Disease: Successful Pilot Project (note: ages of included patients were 50-76, with MoCA at least 19)

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