Rodent Models of Vascular Cognitive Impairment

Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) refers to the entire spectrum of vascular brain pathologies that contribute to cognitive deficits, ranging from subjective cognitive decline to dementia. The main pathologies in VCI are infarcts and white matter hyperintensities due to ischemia. VCI rodent models can be divided into surgical models (e.g., MCAO, BCAO, BCAS, 2-VO, 4-VO) and genetic models (e.g., SHR/SP, T2DM, CAA, CADASIL) based on construction methods. However, no single model can fully recapitulate the pathogenesis of VCI, and choosing the appropriate model for different research purposes would be of crucial importance. Here, we have summarized the commonly used rodent VCI models and discussed their advantages and limitations to provide a necessary reference for selecting suitable animal models to investigate the molecular pathways involved in VCI and develop therapeutic interventions.