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Using Retinal Imaging to Study Dementia
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Using Retinal Imaging to Study Dementia

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Dementia and cerebrovascular disease

David S Knopman1

  • 1Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. knopman@mayo.edu

Mayo Clinic Proceedings
|February 14, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Cerebrovascular disease significantly impacts cognitive function and dementia in older adults. This review addresses challenges and emerging consensus in understanding its role and offers a clinical framework.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Geriatrics
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Cerebrovascular disease is a major contributor to cognitive impairment and dementia in the elderly.
  • Quantifying cerebrovascular disease's impact on cognition and defining vascular dementia remain challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the challenges and emerging consensus in understanding cerebrovascular disease's role in dementia.
  • To propose an operational framework for clinicians managing patients with cognitive disturbances.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing clinical, imaging, epidemiological, and neuropathologic studies.
  • Analysis of inconsistencies and emerging consistencies in the field.

Main Results:

  • Despite diagnostic challenges, consistencies exist linking cerebrovascular disease to cognitive impairment.
  • Clinical and imaging findings can suggest different levels of cerebrovascular disease impact.
  • Overlap with Alzheimer disease suggests potential for dual-mechanism therapeutic strategies.

Conclusions:

  • Addressing challenges in neuropathologic quantification and clinical definitions is crucial.
  • An integrated approach considering clinical, imaging, and pathological data is needed.
  • Combined cerebrovascular and Alzheimer disease pathology may be treatable with targeted therapies.

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