engleski

Dementia, is there a vascular origin?

As vascular component appears to be significant in both Alzheimer’ s disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VAD), in this pilot study we aimed to further explore vascular characteristics of patients with both types of cognitive decline using non-invasive neurosonological methods. Arterial beta stiffness index was selected as a potential risk factor for increased stroke occurrence. There were 38 patients included in this study ; 16 diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD ; 8 women, 8 men, aged 72, 19+- 6, 86 years) and 22 with vascular dementia (VAD ; 14 women, 8 men, aged 70, 20+- 15, 50 years). Vascular risk factors were assessed and ultrasound measurements on common carotid artery (CCA) were performed using Aloka ProSound ALPHA 10 with 13 MHz linear probe. Among AD patients there were 5 with arterial hypertension (AH), 3 with atrial fibrillation (AF), 2 with diabetes mellitus (DM), 6 with hyperlipoproteinaemia and 1 smoker. Nineteen VAD patients had AH, arterial hypertensives, 6 had AF, 12 had hyperlipoproteinaemia and one was diabetic. We found no statistically significant differences between the groups regarding average body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, pulse pressure, intima media thickness (IMT), CCA diameter or arterial beta stiffness indices. However, the trend of BMI increase, slight blood and pulse pressure decrease, CCA diameter increase and beta stiffness index increase was noted in VAD patients. Even though there was no significant difference found among the two explored subgroups of patients with dementia, there was a tendency of greater systolic and diastolic diameters noted in VAD as well as greater stiffness, especially when measured in the right CCA. This indicates that VAD patients have more prominent vascular changes that may help differentiate the type of dementia and further monitor these individuals.

Alzheimer’ s disease; vascular

nije evidentirano