A Review of Reducing Vascular Dementia’s complications

Vascular dementia (VaD) is recognised as the second most common cause of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease (AD), responsible for around 15% of cases. However, unlike AD, there arecurrently no licensed treatments for VaD. Progress in the field has been difficultdue to uncertainties over nosology and diagnostic criteria, controversy over the exact nature of the relationship between cerebrovascular pathology and cognitive impairment, and the lack of identifiable tractable treatment targets. Though there is an established relationshipbetween vascular and degenerative (Alzheimer) pathology, the mechanistic link between the two has yet to be identified. Conclusion: This review critiques some of the key areas and controversies, summarises treatment trials to date and makes suggestions for what progressis needed to advance our understanding of pathogenesis and so maximise opportunities for the search for new and effective management approaches.