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Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffIf vascular dementia is suspected, your doctor may recommend one or more of the following tests:
- Computerized tomography (CT). A CT scan uses special X-ray equipment to produce a cross-sectional image showing a slice of your body's organs and tissues. A contrast material may be injected to help highlight any abnormalities in your brain's blood vessels.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). An MRI scan uses radio waves and a strong magnetic field to produce detailed images of internal organs and tissues. In some cases, contrast material may be injected to produce even more detailed pictures. Some people experience a feeling similar to claustrophobia when they're inside an MRI machine. If you think this will be a problem, your doctor can prescribe medication to help you relax.
- Positron emission tomography (PET). During a PET scan, you'll be injected with a low-level radioactive material, which binds to chemicals that travel to the brain. You lie on a table while an overhead scanner tracks the radioactive material. This helps show which parts of your brain aren't functioning properly. The test is painless and can be particularly useful in distinguishing between different types of dementia.
- Doppler ultrasound. Doppler ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to measure the direction and speed of blood cells as they travel through blood vessels — such as the carotid arteries, which travel through either side of your neck to connect your heart and brain. A Doppler ultrasound of your carotid arteries can help your doctor determine if there are blockages or narrow places impeding blood flow to your brain.
- Neuropsychological tests. Neuropsychological tests assess orientation, learning, recall, attention, calculation and language. Exam results for people with vascular dementia typically show the same types of cognitive deficits as the exam results of people who have Alzheimer's disease. One major difference, however, is in memory function. Most people with vascular dementia don't experience memory problems until later in the course of the disease unless there is a stroke in the exact area of the brain that controls memory.
References
- Dementia: Hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/dementias/detail_dementia.htm. Accessed March 14, 2009.
- Vascular dementia. Alzheimer's Association. http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_vascular_dementia.asp. Accessed March 14, 2009.
- Bird TD, et al. Dementia. In: Fauci AS, et al.: Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2904052. Accessed March 11, 2009.
- Wright CB. Etiology, clinical manifestations, and diagnosis of vascular dementia. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 12, 2009.
- Dementia. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec16/ch213/ch213c.html. Accessed March 14, 2009.
- Aricept (prescribing information). Woodcliff Lake, N.J.: Eisai Inc.; 2006. http://www.aricept.com/images/AriceptComboFullPINovember02006.pdf. Accessed March 12, 2009.
- Namenda (prescribing information). St. Louis, Mo.: Forrest Pharmaceuticals; 2007. http://www.frx.com/pi/namenda_pi.pdf. Accessed March 12, 2009.
- Aminoff MJ, et al. Disorders of cognitive function. In: Aminoff MJ, et al. Clinical Neurology. 6th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2005. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2079000. Accessed March 11, 2009.
- Wright CB. Treatment and prevention of vascular dementia. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 12, 2009.
