{"id":17260,"date":"2023-10-25T06:05:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-25T13:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?p=17260"},"modified":"2023-10-25T07:36:44","modified_gmt":"2023-10-25T14:36:44","slug":"hidden-crisis-of-mild-cognitive-impairment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/hidden-crisis-of-mild-cognitive-impairment\/","title":{"rendered":"Missed diagnosis: The hidden crisis of mild cognitive impairment in America"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n    \n                                          \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/10\/MCI_Study__Top-768x432.png\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/10\/MCI_Study__Top-1920x1080.png 1920w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/10\/MCI_Study__Top-1280x720.png 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/10\/MCI_Study__Top-768x432.png 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  role=\"none\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"image-caption\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  Adding screening for cognitive difficulties could help millions, say USC Dornsife researchers. (Composite: Letty Avila. Image source: iStock.)\n\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n          <nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n        <ul>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\">News<\/a><\/li>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\/?category=health\">Health<\/a><\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/nav>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>Missed diagnosis: The hidden crisis of mild cognitive impairment in America<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"subtitle\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  Two new USC Dornsife studies suggest that of the 8 million Americans who have MCI, more than 90% don\u2019t know it \u2014 an especially worrisome finding since early diagnosis is key to delaying onset of dementia and Alzheimer\u2019s disease.\n\n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    \n           <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span><a href=\"mailto:communication@dornsife.usc.edu\">Katharine Gammon<\/a><\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">October 25, 2023<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--social-share \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--social-share\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n    <span class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" style=\"line-height: 32px;\">\n      <span class=\"title\">\n        Share\n      <\/span>\n                        <a class=\"a2a_button_copy_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#copy_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Link\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_copy_link\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m7.43475275 9.52380952-2.17490843 2.26076008c-1.08745421 1.058837-1.68841575 2.518315-1.68841575 4.0350275 0 1.5167124.60096154 2.9475732 1.68841575 4.0350274 1.058837 1.0874543 2.51831502 1.6884158 4.03502747 1.6884158 1.44087681 0 2.80427251-.5423678 3.86936601-1.5289606l.1656615-.1594552 2.2321428-2.2321428-1.6311813-1.6311813-2.2321429 2.26076c-.6581959.658196-1.5167124 1.0016026-2.43246332 1.0016026s-1.7742674-.3434066-2.43246337-1.0016026c-.65819597-.6581959-1.00160257-1.5167124-1.00160257-2.4324633 0-.8547009.2991453-1.6595442.87416905-2.2981957l.12743352-.1342677 2.23214286-2.2321429zm6.88661855-.40736607-5.26116068 5.26116075 1.61881868 1.6188186 5.2611607-5.2611607zm1.3837569-5.54501488c-1.4408768 0-2.8042725.54236779-3.869366 1.52896062l-.1656615.15945513-2.23214282 2.23214286 1.63118132 1.63118132 2.2321429-2.23214286c.6581959-.65819597 1.5167124-1.00160256 2.4324633-1.00160256s1.7742674.34340659 2.4324634 1.00160256 1.0016026 1.51671246 1.0016026 2.43246337c0 .85470089-.2991453 1.65954419-.8741691 2.29819559l-.1274335.1342678-2.2321429 2.2321428 1.5739469 1.5739469 2.2321429-2.2321428c1.0874542-1.058837 1.6884157-2.5183151 1.6884157-4.03502751 0-1.51671245-.6009615-2.94757326-1.6884157-4.03502747-1.058837-1.08745421-2.518315-1.68841575-4.0350275-1.68841575z\" transform=\"translate(-3 -3)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Copy Link<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_facebook\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#facebook\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Facebook\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_facebook\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m23.9512 6h-16.9024c-.57923625 0-1.0488.46956375-1.0488 1.0488v16.9024c0 .5792362.46956375 1.0488 1.0488 1.0488h9.10024v-7.34768h-2.46772v-2.87584h2.46772v-2.11508c0-2.45404 1.49872-3.79012 3.68828-3.79012.7389668-.00263323 1.4775241.03516995 2.21236.11324v2.56348h-1.51392c-1.18788 0-1.4174.56544-1.4174 1.39612v1.8316h2.84772l-.37088 2.87584h-2.47684v7.34844h4.83284c.5792362 0 1.0488-.4695638 1.0488-1.0488v-16.9024c0-.57923625-.4695638-1.0488-1.0488-1.0488z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" transform=\"translate(-6 -6)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Facebook<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_twitter\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#twitter\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"X\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_twitter\">\n              <svg version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\"\n\t y=\"0px\" viewBox=\"0 0 30 30\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 30 30\" xml:space=\"preserve\" width=\"19\" height=\"19\">\n<path fill=\"#000\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M14.5,16.2l-0.8-1.1l-6.3-9h2.7l5.1,7.3l0.8,1.1\n\tl6.6,9.4h-2.7L14.5,16.2L14.5,16.2z M16.9,13.4l7.4-8.7h-1.8l-6.5,7.5L11,4.8H5l7.8,11.4L5,25.2h1.8l6.8-7.9l5.5,7.9h6L16.9,13.4\n\tL16.9,13.4z\"\/>\n<\/svg>\n\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">X<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_linkedin\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#linkedin\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Linkedin\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_linkedin\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m25 21.4220779c0 1.974026-1.6038961 3.5779221-3.5779221 3.5779221h-11.84415582c-1.97402598 0-3.57792208-1.6038961-3.57792208-3.5779221v-11.84415582c0-1.97402598 1.6038961-3.57792208 3.57792208-3.57792208h11.84415582c1.974026 0 3.5779221 1.6038961 3.5779221 3.57792208zm-14.5584416-12.21428569c-.98701295 0-1.60389606.61688311-1.60389606 1.48051949-.12337663.8636364.49350649 1.4805195 1.48051946 1.4805195.987013 0 1.6038961-.6168831 1.6038961-1.4805195 0-.86363638-.6168831-1.48051949-1.4805195-1.48051949zm1.3571429 12.70779219v-8.6363636h-2.83766234v8.6363636zm10.2402597 0v-4.9350649c0-2.5909091-1.3571428-3.8246753-3.3311688-3.8246753-1.4805195 0-2.0974026.8636363-2.4675325 1.4805194v-1.2337662h-2.8376623v8.6363636h2.8376623v-4.9350649c0-.2467532 0-.4935065.1233767-.7402597.1233766-.4935065.6168831-.987013 1.4805194-.987013.987013 0 1.4805195.7402597 1.4805195 1.974026v4.564935z\" transform=\"translate(-6 -6)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">LinkedIn<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_bluesky\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#bluesky\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Bluesky\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_bluesky\">\n              <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\">\n                <path fill=\"#00000\" d=\"M12 10.8c-1.087-2.114-4.046-6.053-6.798-7.995C2.566.944 1.561 1.266.902 1.565C.139 1.908 0 3.08 0 3.768c0 .69.378 5.65.624 6.479c.815 2.736 3.713 3.66 6.383 3.364c.136-.02.275-.039.415-.056c-.138.022-.276.04-.415.056c-3.912.58-7.387 2.005-2.83 7.078c5.013 5.19 6.87-1.113 7.823-4.308c.953 3.195 2.05 9.271 7.733 4.308c4.267-4.308 1.172-6.498-2.74-7.078a8.741 8.741 0 0 1-.415-.056c.14.017.279.036.415.056c2.67.297 5.568-.628 6.383-3.364c.246-.828.624-5.79.624-6.478c0-.69-.139-1.861-.902-2.206c-.659-.298-1.664-.62-4.3 1.24C16.046 4.748 13.087 8.687 12 10.8\"  fill-rule=\"evenodd\" \/>\n              <\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Bluesky<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_email\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#email\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"E-mail\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_print\">\n              <svg height=\"12\" viewBox=\"0 0 18 12\" width=\"18\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m8.14285714 9.42857143c-.17142857 0-.34285714 0-.51428571.08571428l7.28571427 6.34285719c.3428572.2571428.6857143.2571428.9428572 0l7.2857142-6.34285719c-.0857142-.08571428-.2571428-.08571428-.4285714-.08571428zm-1.28571428 1.11428567v.1714286 8.5714286c0 .6857143.6 1.2857143 1.28571428 1.2857143h14.57142856c.6857143 0 1.2857143-.6 1.2857143-1.2857143v-8.5714286c0-.0857143 0-.0857143 0-.1714286l-7.2 6.3428572c-.7714286.6857143-1.8857143.6857143-2.6571429 0z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" transform=\"translate(-6 -9)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Email<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                  <\/span>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n \n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>After moving back to Oceanside, Calif., Jean Bland looked forward to reconnecting with the familiar streets of her youth. But not long after settling in, her husband Mike noticed that Jean, with whom he\u2019d shared 41 years of marriage, would occasionally find herself lost in the very places she once knew so well. Initially concerned, he dismissed it as a common sign of aging.<\/p>\n<p>Jean, 79, a former nurse known for her meticulous nature and attention to detail, always came prepared to her doctor\u2019s appointments, armed with a litany of questions and notes. So, when she walked into the exam room two years ago without any list and displayed signs of forgetfulness, it raised eyebrows. Her physician, sensing something wasn\u2019t right, recommended a series of tests, including an extensive verbal examination.<\/p>\n<p>The diagnosis revealed that Jean had mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a condition often linked to Alzheimer\u2019s disease. While the news was daunting, it also presented her with a silver lining: the opportunity to take proactive measures, including a new drug \u2014 which is only effective when cognitive impairment is mild \u2014 to potentially slow the disease\u2019s progression. More than 7 million other Americans, unaware of their condition, aren\u2019t as fortunate.<\/p>\n<p>Two studies from the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences reveal that MCI is alarmingly under-diagnosed, with approximately 7.4 million unknowingly living with the condition. Even more startling, half of these individuals are silently battling Alzheimer\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u2018Pay attention to early changes in cognition, and tell your doctor about them.\u2019<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Jean was immediately afraid of the diagnosis, she says. She also resisted the news; she didn\u2019t have a memory issue, she insisted. But she had noticed little changes in her life \u2014 strangely, she couldn\u2019t smell roses anymore.<\/p>\n<p>She asked for a referral to a neurologist, who performed an MRI, but it didn\u2019t show anything abnormal. After seeing another doctor, she eventually got the official diagnosis of mild Alzheimer\u2019s disease, and it hit her like an asteroid.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was a horror,\u201d Jean says. \u201cIt scared me to death. I really didn\u2019t know how to handle it at the moment, so I had to think about it and read about it and eventually admit that something was wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"video-embed\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Millions May Have Undiagnosed Mild Cognitive Impairment\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SMqeCSUhOSI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<h2>Widespread underdiagnosis of MCI<\/h2>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/alzres.biomedcentral.com\/articles\/10.1186\/s13195-023-01272-z\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">one study<\/a>, the researchers analyzed data from 40 million Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older and compared the proportion diagnosed with the rate expected in this age group. They found that fewer than 8% of expected cases were actually diagnosed. In other words, of the 8 million individuals predicted to have MCI based on their demographic profile, which includes age and gender, about 7.4 million were undiagnosed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis study is meant to raise awareness of the problem,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/cesr.usc.edu\/people\/staff\/mattke\">Soeren Mattke<\/a>, director of the Brain Health Observatory at USC Dornsife\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/cesr.usc.edu\/\">Center for Economic and Social Research<\/a>, who led the investigations. \u201cWe want to say, \u2018Pay attention to early changes in cognition, and tell your doctor about them. Ask for an evaluation.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The prevalence of MCI is influenced by socioeconomic and clinical factors. People with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension and other health issues are at higher risk of cognitive decline including dementia. These health issues are more prevalent among members of historically disadvantaged groups, including those with less education and Black and Hispanic Americans.<\/p>\n<p>The researchers found that detection of MCI was even poorer in those groups. Mattke says that\u2019s concerning because the overall disease burden in those populations is higher. \u201cSo, they\u2019re hit twice: They have higher risk and yet lower detection rates.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.14283\/jpad.2023.131\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">second study<\/a> looked at 200,000 individual primary care clinicians and found that 99% of them underdiagnosed MCI.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>I don\u2019t want to lose her. Not just physically, but mentally, too.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s really just a tiny fraction of physicians \u2026 who would find these cases early enough for maximum therapeutic potential,\u201d Mattke explains.<\/p>\n<p>MCI by definition doesn\u2019t cause disability whereas dementia is a disabling condition marked by more serious cognitive difficulties. In MCI, challenges to everyday functioning tend to be more sporadic, says Soo Borson, clinical professor of family medicine at <a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Keck School of Medicine of USC<\/a>, who was not involved in the studies.<\/p>\n<p>MCI can come in various forms: Forgetfulness is the most familiar form, Borson says. Another is an executive form, which mainly affects efficiency in getting things done and difficulty with tasks that used to be easier, such as balancing a checkbook or paying bills online. There is even a behavioral form in which mild changes in personality may predominate. These various forms often coexist.<\/p>\n<p>MCI might be underdiagnosed for various reasons. An individual may not be aware of or bring up a concern; a physician might not notice subtle signs of difficulty; or a clinician might mistakenly enter a diagnostic code incorrectly in a patient\u2019s medical record.<\/p>\n<p>Another important reason: Time during a clinical visit may not be set aside to discuss or assess brain health unless the visit was planned expressly to include it. Detection of cognitive impairment is not difficult, but it does not occur without planning.<\/p>\n<h2>Early detection key to better outcomes for MCI<\/h2>\n<p>But early treatment is vital, says Mattke, because the brain is limited in its ability to recover \u2014 brain cells, once lost, do not grow back, and any damage can no longer be repaired.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor MCI caused by Alzheimer\u2019s disease, the earlier you treat, the better your outcomes,\u201d he says. \u201cThis means even though the disease may be slowly progressing, every day counts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Time is of the essence, and Mike and Jean are now coming up with a game plan for their lives. Jean is taking medication to slow the process of MCI, but she struggles with minor functions. She sometimes repeats questions, and Mike finds himself making up little stories. He knows there\u2019s no cure, and even the newest medications can only slow the process, so it leads to anxiety about the future.<\/p>\n<p>Mike\u2019s voice wavers as he admits, \u201cI don\u2019t want to lose her. Not just physically, but mentally, too.\u201d He\u2019s now an advocate for early testing but wonders at what point someone can realize they need help. \u201cHow do you as an individual determine what\u2019s happening when you can\u2019t find your keys or remember where the milk in the refrigerator is? Is that old age or is that really a memory issue?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jean is grateful to have more information. Early on in her memory loss, she started to see strangers and even her deceased father in the family room of the house, and it would frighten her. Now she knows that hallucinations are part of cognitive impairment, and it gives her some comfort. \u201cI don\u2019t have that pressing against me anymore,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s easier to go through life now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>They are learning to go out to lunch more, take walks and do errands together. Mike says they hug and kiss more now than ever before in their relationship.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am very lucky,\u201d Jean says, as she tenderly takes Mike\u2019s hand in hers.<\/p>\n<p>He responds, \u201cI am too.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><i>DISCLOSURE: Genentech was a funder for both papers but had no role in the design and conduct of the studies.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n  \n        \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-related-stories \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-related-stories\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Related Articles\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n                  <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/older-patients-willing-to-travel-longer-than-expected-for-health-care\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >How far will seniors go for a doctor visit? Often much farther than expected<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/eaton-fire-sent-a-pollution-wave-across-los-angeles\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >Eaton fire sent a pollution wave across Los Angeles<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/today.usc.edu\/usc-scientists-identify-promising-new-target-for-alzheimers-linked-brain-inflammation\/\" \n         target=\"_blank\"                 class=\"\" \n      >New, selective compounds target for Alzheimer\u2019s-linked brain inflammation<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n            <\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>More than 7 million Americans have MCI and don\u2019t know it. That\u2019s worrisome since early diagnosis is key to delaying onset of dementia and Alzheimer\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":17261,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26,24],"tags":[614,257,64,1930,95],"class_list":["post-17260","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-social-impact","tag-aging","tag-alzheimers-disease","tag-center-for-economic-and-social-research","tag-cesr","tag-social-sciences"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Missed diagnosis: The hidden crisis of mild cognitive impairment in America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"USC Dornsife studies show millions don\u2019t know they have mild cognitive impairment, and early diagnosis is key to slowing Alzheimer\u2019s disease and dementia\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/hidden-crisis-of-mild-cognitive-impairment\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Hidden crisis: Undiagnosed mild cognitive impairment in America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"USC Dornsife studies show millions don\u2019t know they have mild cognitive impairment, and early diagnosis is key to slowing Alzheimer\u2019s disease and dementia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/hidden-crisis-of-mild-cognitive-impairment\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"USC Dornsife News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uscdornsife\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-10-25T13:05:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-10-25T14:36:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/10\/MCI_Study__Top.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1150\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Michael Liu\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@uscdornsife\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@uscdornsife\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/hidden-crisis-of-mild-cognitive-impairment\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/hidden-crisis-of-mild-cognitive-impairment\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Michael Liu\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/d03084ed5319ed7575c96017879a7447\"},\"headline\":\"Missed diagnosis: The hidden crisis of mild cognitive impairment in America\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-10-25T13:05:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-10-25T14:36:44+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/hidden-crisis-of-mild-cognitive-impairment\/\"},\"wordCount\":11,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/hidden-crisis-of-mild-cognitive-impairment\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/10\/MCI_Study__Top.png\",\"keywords\":[\"aging\",\"alzheimer\u2019s disease\",\"center for economic and social research\",\"cesr\",\"social sciences\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Health\",\"Social Impact\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/hidden-crisis-of-mild-cognitive-impairment\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/hidden-crisis-of-mild-cognitive-impairment\/\",\"name\":\"Hidden crisis: Undiagnosed mild cognitive impairment in America\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/hidden-crisis-of-mild-cognitive-impairment\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/hidden-crisis-of-mild-cognitive-impairment\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/10\/MCI_Study__Top.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-10-25T13:05:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-10-25T14:36:44+00:00\",\"description\":\"USC Dornsife studies show millions don\u2019t know they have mild cognitive impairment, and early diagnosis is key to slowing Alzheimer\u2019s disease and dementia\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/hidden-crisis-of-mild-cognitive-impairment\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/hidden-crisis-of-mild-cognitive-impairment\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/hidden-crisis-of-mild-cognitive-impairment\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/10\/MCI_Study__Top.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/10\/MCI_Study__Top.png\",\"width\":2000,\"height\":1150},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/hidden-crisis-of-mild-cognitive-impairment\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Missed diagnosis: The hidden crisis of mild cognitive impairment in America\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/\",\"name\":\"USC Dornsife News\",\"description\":\"USC Dornsife news and events\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization\",\"name\":\"USC Dornsife News\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/USC-Dornsife-Cardinal-Black-on-White-RGB.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/USC-Dornsife-Cardinal-Black-on-White-RGB.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":330,\"caption\":\"USC Dornsife News\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uscdornsife\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/uscdornsife\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/uscdornsife\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/USCCollege\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/uscdornsife\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/d03084ed5319ed7575c96017879a7447\",\"name\":\"Michael Liu\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/16962c8d3900280cb2e47f931ab45f9c2432ea07c167e9c00a6c2f8a0ec3d61f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/16962c8d3900280cb2e47f931ab45f9c2432ea07c167e9c00a6c2f8a0ec3d61f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Michael Liu\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/author\/liumk\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Missed diagnosis: The hidden crisis of mild cognitive impairment in America","description":"USC Dornsife studies show millions don\u2019t know they have mild cognitive impairment, and early diagnosis is key to slowing Alzheimer\u2019s disease and dementia","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/hidden-crisis-of-mild-cognitive-impairment\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Hidden crisis: Undiagnosed mild cognitive impairment in America","og_description":"USC Dornsife studies show millions don\u2019t know they have mild cognitive impairment, and early diagnosis is key to slowing Alzheimer\u2019s disease and dementia","og_url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/hidden-crisis-of-mild-cognitive-impairment\/","og_site_name":"USC Dornsife News","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uscdornsife","article_published_time":"2023-10-25T13:05:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-10-25T14:36:44+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2000,"height":1150,"url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/10\/MCI_Study__Top.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Michael Liu","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@uscdornsife","twitter_site":"@uscdornsife","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/hidden-crisis-of-mild-cognitive-impairment\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/hidden-crisis-of-mild-cognitive-impairment\/"},"author":{"name":"Michael Liu","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/d03084ed5319ed7575c96017879a7447"},"headline":"Missed diagnosis: The hidden crisis of mild cognitive impairment in America","datePublished":"2023-10-25T13:05:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-10-25T14:36:44+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/hidden-crisis-of-mild-cognitive-impairment\/"},"wordCount":11,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/hidden-crisis-of-mild-cognitive-impairment\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/10\/MCI_Study__Top.png","keywords":["aging","alzheimer\u2019s disease","center for economic and social research","cesr","social sciences"],"articleSection":["Health","Social Impact"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/hidden-crisis-of-mild-cognitive-impairment\/","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/hidden-crisis-of-mild-cognitive-impairment\/","name":"Hidden crisis: Undiagnosed mild cognitive impairment in America","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/hidden-crisis-of-mild-cognitive-impairment\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/hidden-crisis-of-mild-cognitive-impairment\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/10\/MCI_Study__Top.png","datePublished":"2023-10-25T13:05:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-10-25T14:36:44+00:00","description":"USC Dornsife studies show millions don\u2019t know they have mild cognitive impairment, and early diagnosis is key to slowing Alzheimer\u2019s disease and dementia","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/hidden-crisis-of-mild-cognitive-impairment\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/hidden-crisis-of-mild-cognitive-impairment\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/hidden-crisis-of-mild-cognitive-impairment\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/10\/MCI_Study__Top.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/10\/MCI_Study__Top.png","width":2000,"height":1150},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/hidden-crisis-of-mild-cognitive-impairment\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Missed diagnosis: The hidden crisis of mild cognitive impairment in America"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/","name":"USC Dornsife News","description":"USC Dornsife news and events","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization","name":"USC Dornsife News","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/USC-Dornsife-Cardinal-Black-on-White-RGB.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/USC-Dornsife-Cardinal-Black-on-White-RGB.jpg","width":1000,"height":330,"caption":"USC Dornsife News"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uscdornsife","https:\/\/x.com\/uscdornsife","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/uscdornsife\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/USCCollege","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/uscdornsife"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/d03084ed5319ed7575c96017879a7447","name":"Michael Liu","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/16962c8d3900280cb2e47f931ab45f9c2432ea07c167e9c00a6c2f8a0ec3d61f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/16962c8d3900280cb2e47f931ab45f9c2432ea07c167e9c00a6c2f8a0ec3d61f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Michael Liu"},"url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/author\/liumk\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17260","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17260"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17260\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17284,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17260\/revisions\/17284"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17261"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17260"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17260"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17260"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}