From: sheriffcoltrane23x@gmail.com   
      
   Vascular Dementia is Not Alzheimer's Disease   
      
      
       
   By Deborah Mitchell G+   
   2016-01-04 12:26   
   vascular dementia is not Alzheimer's disease   
   Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, and there's so much   
   discussion about it that it's easy to overlook the second most common   
   one--vascular dementia. A recent report in Diabetes Care brought to light the   
   importance of understanding    
   vascular dementia, as it's been shown that women with type 2 diabetes are at   
   higher risk of developing this form of dementia--rather than Alzheimer's--than   
   are men.   
   First of all, dementia is not a disease--it is a group of symptoms that have a   
   negative impact on cognitive functions such as memory, reasoning, and decision   
   making. Approximately 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases are Alzheimer's   
   disease, while vascular    
   dementia accounts for about 10 percent, according to the Alzheimer's   
   Association.   
   What is vascular dementia?   
   Although both forms of dementia involve a decline in thinking skills, the   
   reasons for it differ: vascular dementia is associated with a reduction in   
   blood flow to the brain, usually because of small strokes, whereas in   
   Alzheimer's disease, there is an    
   accumulation of abnormal proteins (amyloid-beta and tau), and the nerve cells   
   in the brain die. It is possible to suffer from both forms of dementia.   
   Because vascular dementia is associated with a blockage of blood vessels in   
   the brain, changes in thinking sometimes occur suddenly. However, they also   
   may appear as mild changes that gradually get worse as the individual   
   experiences a series of    
   transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), or mini-strokes. (Note: Not everyone who   
   has a stroke or TIA develops vascular dementia.)   
   Depending on which blood vessels are blocked and the severity of the blockage,   
   a person with vascular dementia may or may not experience significant memory   
   problems. Symptoms of vascular dementia are most obvious when they appear   
   after someone has a    
   major stroke, in which case they include confusion, difficulty speaking or   
   understanding speech, disorientation, and vision problems.   
   When someone has a series of TIAs, you may notice gradual changes in their   
   ability to make decisions or plan, uncontrolled crying or laughing, difficulty   
   in finding the right words or participating in social situations, and a   
   declining ability to focus    
   their attention.   
   Diagnosing vascular dementia   
   Experts from the American Stroke Association and American Heart Association,   
   with endorsement by the American Academy of Neurology and the Alzheimer's   
   Association, have identified three criteria that suggest the greatest   
   likelihood that someone with mild    
   cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia has vascular dementia:   
   Results of neurocognitive tests (which involve testing of planning, judgment,   
   reasoning, memory, and problem-solving) confirm MCI or dementia   
   Brain imaging results (typically using magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]) show   
   evidence of recent stroke or changes in blood vessels that are consistent with   
   the cognitive impairment seen in the neurocognitive testing   
   Lack of evidence of other factors contributing to the person's decline in   
   cognitive functioning   
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   In Alzheimer's disease, clinicians also use neurocognitive testing and are   
   still searching for definitive biomarkers and brain imaging techniques that   
   will help them better diagnose the disease. Thus far, for example, shrinkage   
   of the hippocampus area of    
   the brain, the significance of amyloid plaque in the brain, and reduced   
   activity in certain areas of the brain are being researched.   
   Managing and treating vascular dementia   
   No FDA-approved drugs specifically for vascular dementia are available, but   
   limited evidence has suggested some drugs approved for Alzheimer's disease may   
   be somewhat helpful. The main focus of management of vascular dementia,   
   however, is preventing new    
   TIAs or strokes, which includes optimal management of conditions such as high   
   cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes, all of which increase the risk   
   of more blood vessel damage.   
   Managing these conditions also includes controlling lifestyle factors   
   associated with them. Individuals with vascular dementia should exercise   
   regularly, eat a nutritious diet (e.g., Mediterranean style), not smoke, avoid   
   or limit alcohol, maintain a    
   healthy weight factors.   
   Among the medications used to manage and treat vascular dementia are   
   antiplatelet drugs such as aspirin, which has been shown to slow disease   
   progression; pentoxifylline, to increase cerebral blood flow; nicardipine, a   
   calcium channel blocker; and    
   neuroprotective drugs such as nimodipine, propentofylline, and posatirelin   
   (currently being studied).   
   One natural remedy that has been studied specifically for vascular dementia is   
   sailuotong, a Chinese herbal combination. Previous studies have shown the   
   remedy to be effective in treating cognitive impairment and memory problems in   
   patients with vascular    
   dementia, and their success has prompted a new phase III study underway as of   
   this writing.   
   In cases of vascular dementia, individuals may improve during recovery and   
   rehabilitation after a stroke or TIA as the brain makes new brain cells and   
   blood vessels near the damaged areas. In Alzheimer's disease, there is a   
   progressive decline in    
   cognitive functioning over time, although the rate of that decline varies.   
   Also Read: Magic of music and Alzheimer's disease   
   Berries for brain health   
   Magic of music and memory and dementia   
      
   Sources   
   Alzheimer's Association   
   Chatterjee S et al. Type 2 diabetes as a risk factor for dementia in women   
   compared with men: a pooled analysis of 2.3 million people comprising more   
   than 100,000 cases of dementia. Diabetes Care 2015 Dec 17. Online before print   
   eMedicine. Vascular dementia   
   Disease and Condition   
   Alzheimer's Disease   
   News Analysis   
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