Everyday tasks and developing dementia

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is often seen as an intermediate phase between normal cognition and dementia. However, not everyone with MCI goes on to develop dementia so it is important to try and work out who is most at risk so they can be helped as quickly as possible. Researchers from the University of California, Davis, studied 111 people with MCI. After 2.4 years 28 of them had gone on to develop dementia. The study found that functional impairment - difficulty in carrying out routine, everyday tasks - was the only factor associated with conversion from MCI to dementia.

You can find out more about this research at

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914172530.htm