What Is Vascular Dementia?
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How Does Vascular Dementia Progress?
Vascular dementia does not always have a typical progression that might be classified into stages, although its symptoms can generally be classified as fitting in the early stages,middle stages, or late stages of dementia.
Early stages of vascular dementia often includeimpaired memory, difficulty withexecutive functioning,word-finding difficulty, and a decline in attention. Mood andpersonality changesmay also be seen in vascular dementia, and some people experience a decline in balance and walking.
Symptoms and DeclineAs vascular dementia progresses, symptoms increase and overall functioning further declines.
Symptoms and Decline
As vascular dementia progresses, symptoms increase and overall functioning further declines.
What to Expect
Sometimes, the sudden step-like declines are related to clear vascular events, such as the occurrence of a stroke. In other cases, there’s a less clear trigger for the decline.
Can Treatment Slow the Stages of Vascular Dementia?
While there’s no guaranteed treatment for vascular dementia, researchers suggest that taking good care of your heart and your brain may reduce the chance of, or slow, further progression. This includes maintaining a healthy blood pressure, exercising regularly,not smoking, and eating ahealthy diet.
4 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Aging.Vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia.Bahar-Fuchs A, Clare L, Woods B.Cognitive training and cognitive rehabilitation for mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;(6):CD003260. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003260.pub2Alzheimer’s Association.Vascular dementia.Mather M, Harley CW.The Locus coeruleus: essential for maintaining cognitive function and the aging brain.Trends Cogn Sci (Regul Ed). 2016;20(3):214-226. doi:10.1016/j.tics.2016.01.001
4 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Aging.Vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia.Bahar-Fuchs A, Clare L, Woods B.Cognitive training and cognitive rehabilitation for mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;(6):CD003260. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003260.pub2Alzheimer’s Association.Vascular dementia.Mather M, Harley CW.The Locus coeruleus: essential for maintaining cognitive function and the aging brain.Trends Cogn Sci (Regul Ed). 2016;20(3):214-226. doi:10.1016/j.tics.2016.01.001
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Aging.Vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia.Bahar-Fuchs A, Clare L, Woods B.Cognitive training and cognitive rehabilitation for mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;(6):CD003260. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003260.pub2Alzheimer’s Association.Vascular dementia.Mather M, Harley CW.The Locus coeruleus: essential for maintaining cognitive function and the aging brain.Trends Cogn Sci (Regul Ed). 2016;20(3):214-226. doi:10.1016/j.tics.2016.01.001
National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Aging.Vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia.
Bahar-Fuchs A, Clare L, Woods B.Cognitive training and cognitive rehabilitation for mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;(6):CD003260. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003260.pub2
Alzheimer’s Association.Vascular dementia.
Mather M, Harley CW.The Locus coeruleus: essential for maintaining cognitive function and the aging brain.Trends Cogn Sci (Regul Ed). 2016;20(3):214-226. doi:10.1016/j.tics.2016.01.001
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