Vascular dementia is a degenerative cerebrovascular disease that leads to a progressive decline in memory and cognitive functioning. It occurs when the blood supply carrying oxygen and nutrients to the brain is interrupted by a blocked or diseased vascular system. Vascular dementia generally affects people between the ages of 60 and 75, and affects more men than women.

The most common type of vascular dementia is multi-infarct dementia (MID), which is caused by a series of small strokes, or “mini-strokes,” that often go unnoticed and cause damage to the cortex of the brain—the area associated with learning, memory, and language. These mini-strokes are sometimes referred to as transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), which result in only temporary, partial blockages of blood supply and brief impairments in consciousness or sight. Over time, however, the damage caused to brain tissue interferes with basic cognitive functions and disrupts everyday functioning.

Multi-infarct dementia causes loss of functioning to specific areas of the brain, impairing some neurological and mental functions and not others. When vascular dementia occurs with other types of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, it is known as “mixed dementia.”

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