Stage 3 of the Reisberg seven-stage model often overlaps with what clinicians call mild cognitive impairment, or MCI — a condition where memory and thinking changes are noticeable to others but don’t yet significantly disrupt daily life. However, MCI is not a guaranteed path to Alzheimer’s; it can be caused by other conditions and does not always progress. A formal evaluation by a physician is the best way to distinguish between the two.