From: mjs23x@gmail.com   
      
   Vascular Dementia | Signs, Symptoms, & Diagnosis   
      
   Vascular Dementia   
      
   Vascular dementia is a decline in thinking skills caused by conditions that   
   block or reduce blood flow to the brain, depriving brain cells of vital oxygen   
   and nutrients.   
      
   About   
   Symptoms   
   Diagnosis   
   Causes & risks   
   Treatments   
      
   About vascular dementia   
   Related dementias share some common symptoms   
      
   Vascular changes that start in brain areas that play a key role in storing and   
   retrieving information may cause memory loss that looks very much like   
   Alzheimer's disease.   
      
   Inadequate blood flow can damage and eventually kill cells anywhere in the   
   body. The brain has one of the body's richest networks of blood vessels and is   
   especially vulnerable.   
      
   In vascular dementia, changes in thinking skills sometimes occur suddenly   
   following strokes that block major brain blood vessels. Thinking problems also   
   may begin as mild changes that worsen gradually as a result of multiple minor   
   strokes or other    
   conditions that affect smaller blood vessels, leading to cumulative damage. A   
   growing number of experts prefer the term "vascular cognitive impairment   
   (VCI)" to "vascular dementia" because they feel it better expresses the   
   concept that vascular thinking    
   changes can range from mild to severe.   
      
   Vascular brain changes often coexist with changes linked to other types of   
   dementia, including Alzheimer's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. Several   
   studies have found that vascular changes and other brain abnormalities may   
   interact in ways that    
   increase the likelihood of dementia diagnosis. Sign up for our enews to   
   receive updates about Alzheimer’s and dementia care and research.   
      
   Vascular dementia is widely considered the second most common cause of   
   dementia after Alzheimer's disease, accounting for 10 percent of cases. Many   
   experts believe that vascular dementia remains underdiagnosed — like   
   Alzheimer's disease — even though    
   it's recognized as common.   
      
   Learn more: Key Types of Dementia, Mixed Dementia   
      
   Symptomsback to top   
      
   Symptoms can vary widely, depending on the severity of the blood vessel damage   
   and the part of the brain affected. Memory loss may or may not be a   
   significant symptom depending on the specific brain areas where blood flow is   
   reduced.   
      
   Vascular dementia symptoms may be most obvious when they happen soon after a   
   major stroke. Sudden post-stroke changes in thinking and perception may   
   include:   
      
   Confusion   
   Disorientation   
   Trouble speaking or understanding speech   
   Vision loss   
   These changes may happen at the same time as more familiar physical stroke   
   symptoms, such as a sudden headache, difficulty walking, or numbness or   
   paralysis on one side of the face or the body.   
      
   Multiple small strokes or other conditions that affect blood vessels and nerve   
   fibers deep inside the brain may cause more gradual thinking changes as damage   
   accumulates. Common early signs of widespread small vessel disease include   
   impaired planning and    
   judgment; uncontrolled laughing and crying; declining ability to pay   
   attention; impaired function in social situations; and difficulty finding the   
   right words.   
      
   Learn more: Warning Signs from the American Stroke Association   
      
   Diagnosisback to top   
   Because vascular cognitive impairment may often go unrecognized, many experts   
   recommend professional screening with brief tests to assess memory, thinking   
   and reasoning for everyone considered to be at high risk for this disorder.   
   Individuals at highest    
   risk include those who have had a stroke or a transient ischemic attack (TIA,   
   also known as a "ministroke"). Additional high-risk groups include those with   
   high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or other risk factors for heart or   
   blood vessel disease.   
      
   Professional screening for depression is also recommended for high-risk   
   groups. Depression commonly coexists with brain vascular disease and can   
   contribute to cognitive symptoms.   
      
   If brief screening tests suggest changes in thinking or reasoning, a more   
   detailed assessment is needed. Core elements of a workup for vascular dementia   
   typically include:   
      
   A thorough medical history, including family history of dementia   
   Evaluation of independent function and daily activities   
   Input from a family member or trusted friend   
   In-office neurological examination assessing function of nerves and reflexes,   
   movement, coordination, balance and senses   
   Laboratory tests including blood tests and brain imaging   
   According to a 2011 scientific statement issued by the American Heart   
   Association (AHA) and the American Stroke Association (ASA), and endorsed by   
   the Alzheimer's Association and the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), the   
   following three criteria    
   suggest the greatest likelihood that mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or   
   dementia is caused by vascular changes:   
      
   The diagnosis of dementia or mild cognitive impairment is confirmed by   
   neurocognitive testing, which involves several hours of written or   
   computerized tests that provide detailed evaluation of specific thinking   
   skills such as judgment, planning, problem-   
   solving, reasoning and memory   
   There is brain imaging evidence, usually with magnetic resonance imaging   
   (MRI), showing evidence of either:   
   A recent stroke, or   
   Other brain blood vessel changes whose severity and pattern of affected tissue   
   are consistent with the types of impairment documented in neurocognitive   
   testing   
   There is no evidence that factors other than vascular changes are contributing   
   to cognitive decline.   
   The guidelines also discuss cases where the diagnosis may be less clear-cut,   
   such as the common situation where vascular changes coexist with brain changes   
   associated with other types of dementia.   
      
   Learn more: AHA/ASA Scientific Statement: Vascular Contributions to Cognitive   
   Impairment and Dementia, Mixed Dementia   
      
   Help is available   
   If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with dementia, you are not alone. The   
   Alzheimer's Association is one of the most trusted resources for information,   
   education, referral and support for Alzheimer's and other types of dementia.   
      
   Call our 24/7 Helpline: 800.272.3900    
   Locate a support group in your community   
   Join our online community   
   Visit our Virtual Library   
      
      
   Causes and risksback to top   
      
   As with Alzheimer's disease, advancing age is a major risk factor for vascular   
   cognitive impairment or dementia.   
      
      
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