Assessment and prediction of functional impairment in vascular dementia

Vascular dementia is associated with cognitive, physical and functional impairments that often lead to disability among the elderly. Declines in activities of daily living significantly contribute to the disability reported among patients with vascular dementia and compromise quality of life for both patients and their families. Assessment of activities of daily living is an important component of the diagnosis, tracking and management of vascular dementia patients. Furthermore, an understanding of the determinants of activities of daily living dysfunction may provide an earlier identification of individuals at risk for functional disability and allow opportunities for improved patient care. In this review, methods for assessing and tracking activities of daily living are discussed and the literature on the correlates of functional impairment in vascular dementia is summarized. Also, the potential use of executive dysfunction as a marker for instrumental activities of daily living impairment is discussed and recommendations for clinical practice and future research are provided.