Vascular Dementia
What is vascular dementia?
Vascular dementia (VaD), also called multi-infarct dementia, occurs when the cells in the brain are deprived of oxygen. A network of blood vessels called the vascular system supplies the brain with oxygen. If there is a blockage in the vascular system, or if it is diseased, blood is prevented from reaching the brain. As a result, cells in the brain die, leading to the symptoms of dementia. After Alzheimer's disease, VaD is the second leading form of dementia, accounting for up to 20% of all cases.
When Alzheimer's disease and VaD occur at the same time, the condition is called "mixed dementia".
Read more about VaD here