title: Living with stable MCI: experiences among 17 individuals evaluated at a memory clinic.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a state of mildly impaired cognitive functioning but with an intact capability of performing basic daily activities. Few studies have targeted personal narratives from persons living with MCI, the major focus in this study is directed to methods for better predictions of the likelihood for conversion to dementia. This study directly explores experiences among individuals who have lived with MCI over seven years without converting to dementia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen individuals, who had been diagnosed with MCI across four occasions over a seven-year period at a memory clinic, were interviewed at a single occasion about their experiences of living with MCI, life events, stress, coping, psychosocial resources, and lifestyle behaviors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thematic analysis of the transcripts of the interviews resulted in themes revolving around the life situation and events related to the first visit at the memory clinic, coping with lower cognitive capacity with the aim of enhancing quality of life, and worries about dementia and further cognitive deteriorations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The participants' experiences of living with MCI indicate that issues and changes in life situations such as long-term stress, retirement, loss of relatives, perceived heritability of dementia, needs to be understood in the context of the individual's understanding and interpretation of their everyday cognitive functioning. Also, supportive long-term contacts with the specialist care unit were vital for creating a personal understanding of MCI. Addressing the intra-personal dynamics of cognitive functioning in the boundary between normal and pathological cognitive aging can also improve diagnostic accuracy.
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. anne.berg@psy.gu.se
authors: Anne Ingeborg
authors: AI
authors: Berg
authors: Anders
authors: A
authors: Wallin
authors: Arto
authors: A
authors: Nordlund
authors: Boo
authors: B
authors: Johansson
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology*; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D003071:Cognition; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013997:Time Factors