“Cognitive impairment is one of the biggest human vulnerabilities,” said Dr. Amy Pinkham, professor of psychology in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences. “As you might expect, severely depressed people underestimate their abilities,” Pinkham said. “We suspect that those with MCI will misjudge their cognitive abilities to a degree, just as those with Alzheimer’s do,” Pinkham said. We assess things like attention and memory, and verbal abilities,” Pinkham said. “Given that mild cognitive impairment is an established precursor for Alzheimer’s and that people often seek help only when symptoms are recognized, it is essential to better understand self-awareness in MCI,” she said.