Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) refers to cognitive decline from a previous level of functioning, both subjectively and by objective evidence. MCI is an intermediate stage of cognitive impairment between the normal cognitive aging and dementia. The concept of mild cognitive impairment originally evolved with an intention to characterize the pre-dementia phase of cognitive impairment. MCI is a known risk factor for dementia. Patients with MCI may represent an optimal target population for pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions. The following chapter provides an overview of the concept of mild cognitive impairment, epidemiological data, current diagnostic criteria, clinical approach and management of MCI.

Background: Cognitive impairment is one of the common features of multiple sclerosis (MS). Despite high prevalence, cognitive decline is often overlooked by neurologists. The Brief International Cognitive Assessment for MS (BICAMS) was therefore introduced by the international expert committee as a brief and effective tool for the assessment and monitoring of cognitive functions in patients with MS. The validity and reliability of BICAMS have been demonstrated in many countries. Our aim was to validate the BICAMS in Georgian patients with MS.Methods: A total of 68 patients with MS and 68 matched controls were assessed by the Georgian-language BICAMS. All healthy controls and seven patients were re-evaluated with identical tests to assess retest reliability. Results: In comparison to healthy controls, patients with MS performed significantly worse on all tests in the assessment battery. Test-retest reliability measures were good for all tests. The prevalence of cognitive impairment in patients with MS was 43%. Conclusion: The Georgian-language BICAMS is a reliable and valid battery for the assessment of cognitive function in patients with MS.

Background Cognitive impairment is one of the common features of multiple sclerosis (MS). Despite high prevalence, cognitive decline is often overlooked by neurologists. The Brief International Cognitive Assessment for MS (BICAMS) was therefore introduced by the international expert committee as a brief and effective tool for the assessment and monitoring of cognitive functions in patients with MS. The validity and reliability of BICAMS have been demonstrated in many countries. Our aim was to validate the BICAMS in Georgian patients with MS. Methods A total of 68 patients with MS and 68 matched controls were assessed by the Georgian-language BICAMS. All healthy controls and seven patients were re-evaluated with identical tests to assess retest reliability. Results In comparison to healthy controls, patients with MS performed significantly worse on all tests in the assessment battery. Test–retest reliability measures were good for all tests. The prevalence of cognitive impairment in patients with MS was 43%. Conclusion The Georgian-language BICAMS is a reliable and valid battery for the assessment of cognitive function in patients with MS.

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