Vascular dementia

Vascular dementia is the loss of cognitive functions to a degree that interferes with ADLs (activities of daily livings), resulting from ischemic or hemorrhagic cerebrovascular disease or from cardiovascular or circulatory disturbances that injure brain regions that are important for memory, cognitive and behavior.

Blood clots or fat deposits can block a vessel from delivering oxygen and nutrients to part of the brain.

With progressive aging of the population, vascular dementia might become the first etiology of all dementias.

A collaborative study conducted in Europe reported that vascular dementia represents 15-20% of all dementia and Alzheimer’s disease between 60-70%.

Signs and symptoms vary depending on the area and extent of damage to the brain.  The physical signs that may appear alone or in various combinations during the course of vascular dementia include dysarthria, hemiparesis, hemianopsia, and ataxia.

When damage on the deep brain areas leads to degeneration of the subcortical white matter, prominent symptoms are memory disturbance, changes in executive function, apathy, and amotivation.
Vascular dementia