Treatment
As of January 2018, there are no USFDA-approved medications for the treatment of mild cognitive impairment. Moreover, as of January 2018, there is no high-quality evidence that supports the efficacy of any pharmaceutical drugs or dietary supplements for improving cognitive symptoms in individuals with mild cognitive impairment. A moderate amount of high-quality evidence supports the efficacy of regular physical exercise for improving cognitive symptoms in individuals with MCI. The clinical trials that established the efficacy of exercise therapy for MCI involved twice weekly exercise over a period of six months. A small amount of high-quality evidence supports the efficacy of cognitive training for improving some measures of cognitive function in individuals with mild cognitive impairment. Due to the heterogeneity among studies which assessed the effect of cognitive training in individuals with MCI, there are no particular cognitive training interventions that have been found to provide greater symptomatic benefits for MCI relative to other forms of cognitive training.The American Academy of Neurologys (AAN) clinical practice guideline on mild cognitive impairment from January 2018 stated that clinicians should identify modifiable risk factors in individuals with MCI, assess functional impairments, provide treatment for any behavioral or neuropsychiatric symptoms, and monitor the individuals cognitive status over time. It also stated that medications which cause cognitive impairment should be discontinued or avoided if possible.
It may be further divided as nonamnestic single- or multiple-domain MCI, and these individuals are believed to be more likely to convert to other dementias (for example, dementia with Lewy bodies).The International Classification of Diseases classifies MCI as a "mental and behavioural disorder." Causes
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) may be caused due to alteration in the brain triggered during early stages of Alzheimers disease or other forms of dementia. Exact causes of MCI are unknown. It is controversial whether MCI even should be identified as a disorder.Risk factors of both dementia and MCI are considered to be the same: these are aging, genetic (heredity) cause of Alzheimers or other dementia, and cardiovascular disease.Individuals with MCI have increased oxidative damage in their nuclear and mitochondrial brain DNA. Diagnosis
The diagnosis of MCI requires considerable clinical judgement, and as such a comprehensive clinical assessment including clinical observation, neuroimaging, blood tests and neuropsychological testing are best in order to rule out an alternate diagnosis. MCI is diagnosed when there is:
Evidence of memory impairment
Preservation of general cognitive and functional abilities
Absence of diagnosed dementia

Neuropathology
Although amnestic MCI patients may not meet criteria for Alzheimers disease, patients may be in a transitional stage of evolving Alzheimers disease.Magnetic resonance imaging can observe deterioration, including progressive loss of gray matter in the brain, from mild cognitive impairment to full-blown Alzheimer disease. A technique known as PiB PET imaging is used to show the sites and shapes of beta amyloid deposits in living subjects using a 11C tracer that binds selectively to such deposits.