A 68-year-old woman has subjective and measurable memory decline on neuropsychological testing, but her daily functioning, including finances and medications, remains intact. She meets criteria for amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Approximately what proportion of such patients progress to overt Alzheimer's disease each year?
- A About 10 to 15 percent ✓
- B About 5 percent
- C Less than 1 percent
- D About 40 to 50 percent
Correct answer: A. About 10 to 15 percent
Explanation
Amnestic mild cognitive impairment converts to clinically diagnosed Alzheimer's dementia at roughly 10 to 15 percent per year, far above the 1 to 2 percent annual incidence in cognitively normal elderly people, which is why MCI identifies a high-risk target group. Rates below 5 percent underestimate the risk and would make surveillance pointless, while conversion figures near half apply only to selected specialist cohorts over several years combined.
Reference: Kaplan and Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry, 11th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.