Dementia due to cerebrovascular disease

• All diagnostic requirements for Dementia are met.
• Dementia is presumed to be attributable to underlying cerebrovascular disease as demonstrated by neuroimaging, medical tests, and/or clinical history of cerebrovascular disease.
• Diagnostic requirements for Alzheimer Disease Dementia, Mixed Type, with Cerebrovascular Disease are not met.
• Neurocognitive symptoms often follow cerebrovascular compromise. In stroke, the type of neurocognitive impairment varies depending on the brain region(s) in which the stroke occurred. Stroke-related neurocognitive impairment typically begins abruptly after a stroke. Improvement in initial neurocognitive deficits is typically seen, with recovery reaching a plateau over time. Residual neurocognitive deficits often remain chronic over time. In contrast, in microvascular events, neurocognitive impairment typically affects so-called subcortical neurocognitive functions (e.g., attention, processing speed, and executive/frontal lobe-related functions). If microvascular events are attributed to progressing chronic conditions (e.g., hypertension, diabetes), as is common, clinical course of neurocognitive impairment may be slowly progressive.

Note: An appropriate diagnosis from the Cerebrovascular Diseases grouping in the chapter on Diseases of the Nervous System should also be assigned.