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Updated: Jan 30, 2026
A Mouse Model for Vascular Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Based on Needle-guided Asymmetric Bilateral Common Carotid Artery Stenosis
Published on: November 22, 2024
Vascular dementia: a diagnosis running out of time
1Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF, UK. r.stewart@iop.kcl.ac.uk
Insights
Modifying vascular risk factors may prevent dementia onset, but Alzheimer's disease often dictates its progression. The distinction between vascular dementia and Alzheimer's is blurring.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Gerontology
- Public Health
Background:
- The diagnostic utility of vascular dementia is debated.
- Vascular dementia has a long historical concept.
Purpose of the Study:
- Evaluate cerebrovascular disease as a dementia risk factor.
- Examine the interplay between cerebrovascular pathology and Alzheimer's disease.
Main Methods:
- Selective literature review and synthesis.
Main Results:
- Shared risk factors exist for cerebrovascular disease and dementia.
- Alzheimer's disease frequently determines dementia progression.
Conclusions:
- Vascular risk modification can delay dementia onset, a key public health strategy.
- Impact on dementia progression remains unproven.
- The separation of vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease is increasingly untenable.
Background:
The concept of vascular dementia has a long history but its usefulness as a diagnostic category has been called into question.
Aims:
To evaluate vascular disease as a risk factor for dementia and the interface between cerebrovascular pathology and Alzheimer's disease.
Method:
The literature on this topic was selectively reviewed and synthesised.
Results:
Risk factors for cerebrovascular disease are also risk factors for dementia. However, the course of dementia, once it has developed, appears to be frequently determined by Alzheimer's disease.
Conclusions:
As a public health measure, modification of vascular risk represents a potentially powerful means to prevent dementia through delaying its onset. However, an effect on progression of dementia, once it has developed, has yet to be established. The traditional view of vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease as distinguishable conditions is becoming steadily less tenable.
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