MID; Dementia - vascular; Dementia - poststroke

Symptoms may develop gradually or may progress after each small stroke.

The symptoms of the disorder may begin suddenly after each stroke. Some peole with MDI may appear to improve for short periods of time, then decline after having more silent strokes.

The early symptoms of dementia can include:

• Difficulty performing tasks that used to come easily, such as balancing a checkbook, playing games (such as bridge), and learning new information or routines
• Getting lost on familiar routes
• Language problems, such as trouble finding the name of familiar objects
• Losing interest in things you previously enjoyed, flat mood
• Misplacing items
• Personality changes and loss of social skills

As the dementia becomes worse, symptoms are more obvious and interfere with the ability to take care of yourself. The symptoms may include:

• Change in sleep patterns, often waking up at night
• Difficulty doing basic tasks, such as preparing meals, choosing proper clothing, or driving
• Forgetting details about current events
• Forgetting events in your own life history, losing awareness of who you are
• Having delusions, depression, agitation
• Having hallucinations, arguments, striking out, violent behavior
• Having more difficulty reading or writing
• Having poor judgment and loss of ability to recognize danger
• Using the wrong word, not pronouncing words correctly, speaking in confusing sentences
• Withdrawing from social contact

Any of the neurologic problems that occur with a stroke may also be present.

Tests may be ordered to help determine whether other medical problems could be causing dementia or making it worse, such as:

• Anemia
• Brain tumor
• Chronic infection
• Drug and medication intoxication
• Severe depression
• Thyroid disease
• Vitamin deficiency

Neuropsychological testing is often helpful to find out what parts of thinking have been affected, and to guide other tests.

Tests that can show evidence of previous strokes in the brain may include:

• Head CT scan
• MRI of the brain

Images

Central nervous system

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Review Date: 03/22/2010
Reviewed By: Daniel B. Hoch, PhD, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)