Methods of radial diagnostics in vascular dementia

Abstract

Te structure of all dementias is vascular dementia (VD) – the second by frequency among the elderly people. So, according to C.P. Ferri, M. Prince, (2005), VD is 16% of the structure of all dementias at the elderly people. Te incidence of VD is 6–12 cases per one thousand population aged over 70 years. According to ofcial statistics by Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the country has registered 25.5 thousand people with VD, the incidence of 4600 new cases per year, and mortality was 20.5%. Te prevalence of vascular dementia increases with age and it is estimated at 1,5–4,8%. According to statistics, 1 case of dementia occurs in 350 healthy individuals, and by 2040 it will already be observed at 1 of 85 persons. Vascular diseases may lead to a number of cognitive impairment from mild to severe, and early detection of defciency allows the doctor to intervene before dementia occurs. We conducted the study of vascular disorders of the brain using CT and MRI to patients with severe dementia and those who had vascular disorders leading to dementia, such as aneurysms, AVMs, vascular disorders in neoplastic diseases. In the study of disease pathology and cognitive changes of dementia there was found the fact that the changes are usually associated with the changes in the anterior and posterior cerebral arteries and their territories, most ofen in the thalamus. Other strategic targets: the basal ganglia, the knee of the internal capsule, hippocampus, mamillary bodies and brains of the bridge. For subcortical vascular dementia characterized by loss of small cerebral vessels, the so-called lacunar infarcts. It is the emergence of lacunar infarcts associated step-like progression of the disease. In vascular dementia we have identifed the following changes: atrophy (cortical and / or subcortical regions), ventricular enlargement, heart attacks (usually over large areas), gaps of different sizes, hemorrhage, leucomalacia and vascular anomalies (thrombotic plaque, atherosclerosis).