Have you noticed changes in memory or thinking, either in yourself or someone you care about? While these changes can be concerning, they do not always mean dementia.

In this episode, we explore mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a condition where memory and thinking change, but a person remains independent. We hear from Peter, a retired journalist living with MCI due to Alzheimer's disease, and Dr. Carmela Tartaglia, who explains more about MCI, its possible causes and why early assessment matters.

  • Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is when thinking or memory declines, but the person remains independent.

  • MCI doesn’t always lead to dementia.

  • MCI may be caused by Alzheimer’s disease or other neurodegenerative diseases.

  • But MCI may instead be caused by treatable conditions like poor sleep or vitamin deficiencies.

  • If you notice significant cognitive changes in yourself or others, seek medical help and early diagnosis.

  • Early diagnosis is important because some MCI may be treatable or even reversible.

  • Early diagnosis is important because some MCI may be treatable or even reversible.

Peter

A 77-year-old retired journalist from Ontario, Peter is living with a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease – but as you'll hear, that's only part of his story. Peter entered the news business in his late teens, and over nearly six decades covered some of the biggest stories of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, including the Vietnam War and the tumult of Canadian and American national politics. He's been married for nearly six decades, is the dad of two, and grandfather of five.

Dr. Carmela Tartaglia

Dr. Tartaglia is a Professor at the University of Toronto and a cognitive-behavioral neurologist at the UHN Memory Clinic where she sees patients with neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Tartaglia employs a multi-modal approach, integrating imaging and biofluid biomarkers with genetics, and clinical data to improve diagnosis and understand the underlying causes of cognitive, behavioral, and motor impairments. She is trying to understand the role of co-pathology across neurodegenerative diseases with the aim of advancing precision medicine and enabling targeted, early interventions. She holds the Marion and Gerald Soloway Chair in Brain Injury and Concussion Research and is the medical lead of the TWH Clinical Research Unit. She is the Executive Director of the Toronto Dementia Research Alliance.

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