The presence of a psychiatric diagnosis does not necessarily indicate lack of decisional capacity.

The recent commentary by Dr Ronald Pies concerning the changes in the diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), questioned the value of informing a patient early in the course of a dementing illness. Dr Pies suggests that because there are no available treatments for AD, it is a disservice to inform the patient of this diagnosis.

In this podcast, Dr Helen Lavretsky discusses the topic of appropriate diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment. It will be increasingly important to strengthen the definitions of what is “normal” to avoid the “pathologizing” of aging or of any individuals who experience temporary or continuous cognitive impairment.