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Updated: Jul 10, 2026

A Machine Learning Approach to Design an Efficient Selective Screening of Mild Cognitive Impairment
Published on: January 11, 2020
Mild cognitive dysfunction: an epidemiological perspective with an emphasis on African Americans
Frederick W Unverzagt1, Sujuan Gao, Kathleen A Lane
1Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA. funverza@iupui.edu
Abstract:
This review begins with a historical accounting of the evolution of the concept of mild cognitive dysfunction, including nomenclature and criteria from Kral to Petersen. A critical analysis of the main elements relating to assessment and diagnosis of mild cognitive dysfunction is provided. Methodological limitations in design, measurement, and characterization, especially as they relate to older African Americans, are identified. Data from a 15-year longitudinal study of community-dwelling African Americans in Indianapolis, Indiana, indicate a 23% prevalence of all-cause mild cognitive dysfunction, with approximately 25% progressing to dementia in 2 years and another 25% reverting to normal cognition in the same interval. Factors contributing to this longitudinal variability in outcomes are reviewed, including the role of medical health factors. The review closes with suggestions for next steps in the epidemiological research of mild cognitive impairment.
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