Vascular dementia

Diagnosis

While there is no definitive test to confirm the presence of vascular dementia, doctors can generally determine the presence of dementia based on the symptoms displayed. To ascertain if vascular dementia is the likely cause of your symptoms, your doctor will evaluate various factors, including your medical history related to stroke, heart conditions, and vascular issues. Additionally, they may conduct tests to gather more information that can help in clarifying the diagnosis. By considering these factors and test results, your doctor will make an assessment regarding whether vascular dementia is the probable cause of your symptoms.

Lab tests

Your doctor will do the following tests if your medical record does not contain recent values for important markers of the condition of your heart and blood vessels:

• Blood pressure
• Cholesterol
• Blood sugar
• In order to rule out further probable reasons of memory loss and confusion such as thyroid disorders and vitamin deficiencies, the doctor may additionally request tests. 

Neurological exam

Your doctor will probably do the following tests to evaluate your general neurological health:

• Reflexes
• Muscle strength and tone, as well as how one side of your body’s strength compares to the other
• The capacity to stand up from a chair and move about the room.
• Sense of touch and sight
• Coordination
• Balance

Brain imaging

Images of your brain can identify observable abnormalities brought on by trauma, blood vessel diseases, tumors, or strokes that could alter your ability to reason and think. Your doctor can narrow down the more likely reasons of your symptoms and rule out other explanations with the use of a brain imaging exam.

Your doctor can suggest one of the following brain imaging techniques to assist identify vascular dementia:

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). A powerful magnetic field and radio waves are used in an MRI to create precise images of your brain. You recline on a small table that glides into the MRI machine, which is shaped like a tube and generates images while making loud banging noises.

Although MRIs are painless, some people get claustrophobic inside the machine and find the sounds upsetting. Since MRIs can provide even more information than CT scans concerning strokes, ministrokes, and blood vessel abnormalities, they are typically the imaging test of choice for assessing vascular dementia.

• Computerized Tomography (CT) scan. You will lie on a small table that glides into a tiny chamber for a CT scan. Your body is penetrated by X–rays from a variety of angles, and a computer utilizes this data to produce precise cross–sectional images of your brain.

A CT scan can reveal information about the anatomy of your brain, determine which areas are shrinking, and look for signs of a stroke, ministroke (transient ischemic episodes), blood vessel alteration, or tumor.

Neuropsychological tests

This test examines your capacity for learning and recalling details, dealing with numbers, problem solving, response to a situation, comprehending languages, speaking, and writing.

Sometimes the findings of neuropsychological testing are indicative of the various types of dementia. People who have vascular dementia may find it extremely difficult to analyze a situation and come up with a workable solution.

Unless their blood vessel issues impair particular memory–related brain regions, they may be less prone than persons with dementia brought on by Alzheimer’s disease to have difficulty acquiring new information and remembering it. The exam results for those with vascular dementia and those who also have Alzheimer’s disease–related brain abnormalities, however, frequently show significant overlap.

Coexisting vascular and Alzheimer’s dementia

Despite the fact that vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s dementia are frequently confused, there is actually a lot of overlap. Similar to how most people with vascular dementia have some degree of coexisting Alzheimer’s alterations in their brains, most people with Alzheimer’s dementia have a vascular component.

Treatment

The primary focus of treatment for vascular dementia involves managing the underlying medical conditions and risk factors that contribute to its development. By effectively controlling the disorders that affect the health of your heart and blood vessels, it is possible to slow down the progression of vascular dementia and, in some cases, even prevent further decline. In this regard, your doctor may prescribe medications for:

• Keep your arteries open and stop your blood from clotting
• Managing blood sugar level if you have diabetes
• Reducing blood pressure and cholesterol level