Tiny Talk Series: E13: Vascular Dementia

Welcome to episode 13 of my series of Tiny Talks.

Today I will be talking about vascular dementia.

VD was first described in 1672 by Thomas Willis.

During the 18th and 19th centuries people were diagnosed with brain congestion,

Which includes things we now refer to as stroke,

Anxiety and cognitive decline.

The preferred treatment at the time was bloodletting.

The modern history of vascular dementia began in 1894 with the contribution of Otto Bisswanger and Alois Alzheimer,

Who separated vascular dementia from dementia paralytica caused by neurosyphilis.

VD develops when brain areas are deprived of blood,

Which may be caused by things as blood clots,

High blood pressure,

Tias or mini strokes.

The functional deterioration will depend on which areas of the brain are affected.

So just like with Alzheimer's,

Every individual will display different symptoms at onset and throughout the process.

Progression and life expectancy are also highly individual,

Depending on the number and intensity of events.

On average people live around 5 years after a VD diagnosis.

The cause of death is often related to heart health.

The NHS describes early signs of vascular dementia.

Slowness of thought,

Difficulty with planning,

Trouble with understanding,

Problems with concentration,

Changes to mood and behaviour and problems with memory and language.

The later are not as common as they are in people with Alzheimer's syndrome.

At the onset the described symptoms may be barely noticeable and are easily mistaking for something else,

For example depression.

Over time the symptoms worsen after further episodes.

Daily activities and self-care are also impacted.

Common risk factors include coronary heart disease,

Peripheral artery disease,

Diabetes,

High blood pressure and high cholesterol.