What are the main signs and symptoms of mild cognitive impairment?

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    Last Updated: May 16, 2025

    The main signs and symptoms of mild cognitive impairment include frequent misplacing of items, difficulty in making decisions, challenges with language, and trouble remembering appointments and recent events, which may also be observed by friends and family. It is important for people who are experiencing these symptoms to consult a doctor because some causes may be treatable and unrelated to dementia.

    People with mild cognitive impairment may lose things with increasing regularity, find it hard to make decisions and judgments, or notice increasing difficulty with language and remembering appointments and recent events. These symptoms are often also noticed by their friends and family. People with such symptoms should ask their doctor to test for signs that help identify the cause. This is important because some causes of mild cognitive impairment are unrelated to dementia and are treatable.[1][2][3]

    The signs of mild cognitive impairment include impaired memory, poor task completion, impaired nerve reflexes, and problems with movement, coordination, and balance.[1][2][3]