Mild behavioral impairment (MBI) refers to the de novo emergence of persistent neuropsychiatric symptoms in older adults. It describes neuropsychiatric symptoms of any severity which persist for longer than 6 months, are not attributable to another psychiatric disorder, and occur in advance of or in concert with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). A large number of studies have demonstrated an association between MBI and risk of cognitive decline and incident dementia. Zahinoor Ismail, MD, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, outlines the five domains that make up MBI: decreased motivation (apathy), emotional dysregulation, impulse dyscontrol (e.g., agitation, disinhibition, obsessiveness), social inappropriateness, and abnormal perception or thought content (psychotic symptoms). The emergence of MBI psychotic symptoms are associated with the greatest risk for incident dementia of any of the five domains. This interview took place at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2022 in San Diego, CA.
