Understanding vascular dementia

Author:
ALZHEIMER'S SOCIETY
Publisher:
Alzheimer's Society
Publication year:
2005
Pagination:
18p.
Place of publication:
London

This booklet has been written to help anyone affected by vascular dementia – people with dementia, carers, family members and professionals – to understand the condition. It is a type of dementia caused by problems with the supply of blood to, or within the brain. The stages are similar to those of Alzheimer's disease, but the decline of functions happens in steps, rather than gradually. Symptoms vary, depending on which parts of the brain have been damaged and how severe the damage is. Researchers believe that people who have had a stroke have an increased risk of developing vascular dementia. In the early stages, the individual may not experience memory problems and the personality will be unaffected. Subcategories of vascular dementia include (1) mild vascular cognitive impairment, (2) multi-infarct dementia, (3) vascular dementia due to a strategic single infarct, (5) vascular dementia due to hemorrhagic lesions, (6) Binswanger’s disease and (7) mixed dementia (combination of AD and vascular dementia.

Subject terms:
older people, stroke, Alzheimers disease, dementia, diagnosis;
Content type:
research
ISBN print:
1 872874 94 0

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