A - Alzheimer's image, B - Vascular Dementia image, C - Normal image

Is another common form of dementia and is quite common – the only more common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease (in adults)

It is also referred to as Multi-infarct dementia

Is a grouping of syndromes that cause or result in vascular lesions on the brain

More often seen in men than women

Increase risk as age increases

5 year survival is less than 40% on average

Symptoms

   -     Change in memory
   -     Mental impairment
   -     Symptoms often are following a stoke
   -     Changes in motor movement
   -     Loss of desire
   -     Difficulty maintaining attention on an object or conversation
   -     Loss of orientation
   -     Loss of bladder control
   -     Changes in gait (walking)
   -     Change in reflexes
   -     Difficulty swallowing

Classifications

1.)   Vascular dementia due to single infarct
2.)   Multi-infarct dementia
3.)   Vascular dementia due to hemorrhagic lesions
4.)   Small vessel disease
5.)   Mixed Vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s

Causes

   -    Cereborovascular disease  (Stroke)
   -    Focal lesions
   -    Combination of the two

Risk

1.)   Ethnicity
2.)   Previous Stroke
3.)   Age

Diagnosis

   -    Mental Status Exam
   -    CT
   -    MRI
   -    Blood work
   -    X-ray

Treatment

The goal is to decrease or prevent the addition of further lesions

1.)   Antiplatelet medication

2.)   Control Hypertension

3.)   Control Cholesterol

4.)   Decrease smoking

5.)   Control or manage Diabetes

Behavior modifications

   -    Physical therapy/Occupational therapy

.          galantamine   [not yet approved - still in testing phase]