Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Mild Cognitive Impairment as Risk Factors for Progression to Dementia

Abstract

Dementia is a public health problem with increase prevalence and relationship with aging population. Life expectancy has been increasing exponentially worldwide. While it represents a goal of medical advances, rapid changes in population demographics have also brought new challenges. Many health conditions are more prevalent in the older population. Cognitive problems, in particular dementia, have a high prevalence in older people. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most frequent dementia in older people (over 65). AD has an estimated prevalence of 5.3 million patients in the U.S.A. alone (33 million worldwide), and it is expected to increase to 11 to 16 million by the year 2050 (and over 115 million worldwide). There is substantial clinical evidence about that the neuropathological features of AD begins years before of functional decline in patients; therefore, the identification of prodromal AD states will be crucial for future interventions diseases.