Vascular dementia
Vascular dementia is a general term that describes impairments in thinking, memory, planning and processes due to impaired blood flow to the brain.
Vascular dementia can develop as a result of stroke, although stroke does not always cause vascular dementia. Whether or not a stroke will cause thinking and memory problems depends on its severity and location Vascular dementia is also caused by other conditions in which blood vessels are damaged and blood flow is reduced.
Factors that increase the risk of heart disease and stroke (high blood pressure, cholesterol, and smoking) also increase the risk of vascular dementia Controlling these factors can reduce your risk of vascular dementia
Vascular dementia is caused by conditions that damage the blood vessels in the brain As a result of damage to the blood vessels, less amount of oxidants and other necessary substances are supplied to the brain
Vascular dementia is often caused by:
- clamping of a brain artery (stroke) Stroke causes a wide range of symptoms, which can include vascular dementia Some strokes do not cause noticeable symptoms, but such strokes still increase the risk of dementia
After each repeated stroke, the risk of vascular dementia increases One form of vascular dementia is multi-infarct dementia, which develops as a result of several strokes. - Narrowed or chronically damaged brain vessels Conditions that narrow or chronically damage the blood vessels in the brain also cause vascular dementia. Such conditions include age-related wear and tear, high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus, brain hemorrhage, and temporal arteritis.
Symptoms of vascular dementia are variable and depend on which part of the brain's blood supply is damaged Symptoms often overlap with those of other forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease
Symptoms of vascular dementia are most pronounced immediately after a stroke When changes in thinking and reasoning are clearly associated with a stroke, the condition is often called post-stroke dementia.
Unlike Alzheimer's disease, in which brain function steadily declines, the symptoms of vascular dementia worsen much more dramatically after each stroke or microstroke.
Vascular dementia can develop over time like Alzheimer's disease Sometimes these two conditions can develop simultaneously
Research suggests that people with symptoms of dementia have more than one form of injury Doctors call this condition mixed dementia
Symptoms of vascular dementia are:
- Confusion
- Difficulty in paying attention and concentration
- Difficulty in analyzing the situation, making an effective plan and communicating the plan to others
- Difficulty in deciding the next course of action
- Memory
