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Symptoms of vascular dementia vary depending on what part of the brain is affected and the cause of the vascular dementia. A common early symptom of vascular dementia is a decline in the ability to organize thoughts or actions. Often the most noticeable symptom of vascular dementia is memory problems. Other symptoms include the following:
- confusion and agitation
- difficulty solving problems
- unsteady walking
- difficulty "finding" words
- urinary frequency, urgency, or incontinence
- mood problems or changes in personality
Symptoms Related to Stroke or Mini-stroke
People with vascular dementia may also have other (physical) signs of a stroke or ministrokes. There may be a localized area of the body, such as a hand or the facial muscles, that is weakened or the person may have a numb area somewhere on the body.
Onset and Course of Symptoms
Symptoms of vascular dementia may have a sudden onset if they are related to a stroke or mini-stroke. People with this type of vascular dementia, sometimes called multi-infarct dementia, have a so-called "stepwise" progression of their symptoms, meaning that their symptoms stay the same for awhile and then suddenly get worse as the individual has additional strokes or mini-strokes.
People with other forms of vascular dementia will have a gradual increase in symptoms and the disease will slowly get worse over time. This is similar to the progression of Alzheimer's disease.
- Facts About Dementia: Overview
- Finding Dementia Care
- Getting Financial Help for Dementia Care
- Alzheimer's Disease: Introduction
- Vascular Dementia: Introduction
- Lewy Body Dementia: Introduction
- Frontotemporal Dementia: Introduction
- Other Types of Dementia
- Diagnosing Dementia
- Treating Dementia