Vascular Dementia: Atherosclerosis, Cognition and Alzheimers Disease

R.      J. OBrien

Abstract

Both Alzheimers disease type pathology (neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles) and evidence of atherosclerosis and infarcts are common in autopsy specimens from the brains of patients enrolled in longitudinal prospective cohorts; the relative contribution of each of these to overall cognitive function is unclear. In addition whether each of these two forms of brain pathology can accelerate the appearance of the other is also unclear. In this paper we examine the relationship among Alzheimers brain pathology, cerebral infarcts and cerebral atherosclerosis. We conclude that each is an independent predictor of dementia. Moreover we do not find that atherosclerosis increases Alzheimers type brain pathology or vice versa.

Keywords: Atherosclerosis, infarction, dementia, amyloid, cerebral infarction, Parkinsonian appearing, hypotension, intracranial atherosclerosis, Endothelial damage, cardiovascular risk factors, neurofibrillary tangle score, Abeta deposition