What is the hallmark symptom of vascular dementia?

But unlike Alzheimer's disease, the most significant symptoms of vascular dementia tend to involve speed of thinking and problem-solving rather than memory loss. Vascular dementia signs and symptoms include: Confusion. Trouble paying attention and concentrating.

What are the first signs of vascular dementia?

What are the seven signs of vascular dementia?

How does a person act with vascular dementia?

People with VaD may exhibit the following behavior: Problems with thinking, walking and performing everyday activities are the most prominent symptoms. Many people with VaD also suffer from depression, which can result in less motivation to perform their usual activities or a lack of interest in the world around them.

What is the main trigger for diagnosing vascular dementia?

Vascular dementia is generally caused by conditions that occur most often in older people, such as atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), heart disease, and stroke. The number of people older than 65 years is increasing. People are living longer with chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes.

Diagnosis and Management of Vascular Dementia | Stephen Chen, MD | UCLAMDChat

What speeds up vascular dementia?

Causes of vascular dementia

narrowing and blockage of the small blood vessels inside the brain. a single stroke, where the blood supply to part of the brain is suddenly cut off. lots of "mini strokes" (also called transient ischaemic attacks, or TIAs) that cause tiny but widespread damage to the brain.

What is the average life expectancy of someone with vascular dementia?

On average, people with vascular dementia live for around five years after symptoms begin, less than the average for Alzheimer's disease. Because vascular dementia shares many of the same risk factors as heart attack and stroke, in many cases, the person's death will be caused by a stroke or heart attack.

What is the 5 word memory test?

Introduction: The five-word test (5WT) is a serial verbal memory test with semantic cuing. It is proposed to rapidly evaluate memory of aging people and has previously shown its sensitivity and its specificity in identifying patients with AD.

Do people with vascular dementia see things?

Delusions and hallucinations

Less often, a person with vascular dementia may have hallucinations (sensing, seeing or hearing things that are not really there). For some people these may be disturbing.

Does vascular dementia affect walking?

Another clue is impaired coordination or balance. In vascular dementia, problems walking or balancing can happen early. With Alzheimer's, these symptoms usually occur late in the disease.

What is the most common vascular dementia?

Subcortical vascular dementia is thought to be the most common type of vascular dementia. It is caused by diseases of the very small blood vessels that lie deep in the brain (known as 'small vessel disease').

When do the symptoms of vascular dementia become more obvious?

Symptoms can sometimes develop suddenly and quickly get worse, but they can also develop gradually over many months or years. Specific symptoms can include: stroke-like symptoms: including muscle weakness or temporary paralysis on one side of the body (these symptoms require urgent medical attention)

What is the best medication for vascular dementia?

medicines such as low-dose aspirin or clopidogrel to reduce the risk of blood clots and further strokes. anticoagulant medicines, such as warfarin, which can also reduce the risk of blood clots and further strokes.

What is the interlocking finger test for dementia?

The interlocking finger test (ILFT) is a bedside screening test in which the subject must imitate four bimanual finger gestures without symbolic meaning. We assessed the utility of the test in the cognitive evaluation of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).

What happens to the body with vascular dementia?

Vascular dementia refers to changes to memory, thinking, and behavior resulting from conditions that affect the blood vessels in the brain. Cognition and brain function can be significantly affected by the size, location, and number of vascular changes.

What are the 3 words on a memory test?

Recall of Three Little Words Helps Quick Diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment. ATLANTA, Nov. 19 -- Mild cognitive impairment can be determined in less than five minutes with a three-word memory test and a clock-drawing task, according to researchers here. The words are apple, penny, and table.

How does a doctor confirm dementia?

There is no one test to determine if someone has dementia. Doctors diagnose Alzheimer's and other types of dementia based on a careful medical history, a physical examination, laboratory tests, and the characteristic changes in thinking, day-to-day function and behavior associated with each type.

What diseases mimic dementia?

Thyroid, kidney, liver, heart and lung problems, urinary and chest infections and strokes are among the many medical conditions that can produce dementia-like symptoms.

Do vascular dementia patients sleep a lot?

It is quite common for a person with dementia, especially in the later stages, to spend a lot of their time sleeping – both during the day and night. This can sometimes be distressing for the person's family and friends, as they may worry that something is wrong.

What should you not say to someone with vascular dementia?

I'm going to discuss five of the most basic ones here: 1) Don't tell them they are wrong about something, 2) Don't argue with them, 3) Don't ask if they remember something, 4) Don't remind them that their spouse, parent or other loved one is dead, and 5) Don't bring up topics that may upset them.

Can vascular dementia stop progressing?

There is no cure for vascular dementia, but there are treatment options available that can slow the progression of the condition. This may include making lifestyle changes to improve other areas of the patient's health, such as dietary changes and effectively treating conditions like high blood pressure.

What vitamins help with vascular dementia?

Vitamins B6 and B12 are critical because they team up to form one of the best compounds for slowing down the effects of dementia.

Is vascular dementia worse than Alzheimer's?

Symptoms and progression

On average, people with vascular dementia will progress faster than those with Alzheimer's disease. There is some overlap in the symptoms of each disease, but each has a unique profile.

Can a person with vascular dementia live alone?

You and your family may worry about how long you can look after yourself, particularly if you live alone. Everyone experiences dementia differently and the rate at which symptoms become worse varies from person to person. But with the right support when you need it, many people live independently for several years.

What can make vascular dementia worse?

Factors that increase your risk of heart disease and stroke — including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking — also raise your vascular dementia risk.