Is vascular dementia always directly related to a stroke?

Yes Vascular Dementia is caused by a series of mini strokes and the result of these strokes causes death of brain tissues. Strokes can occur at anytime and depending on which part of the brain has been affected it may cause changes in their memory or personality.

Yes, my dad has had TIAs and now has cognitive impairment brought on by vascular ischemia.

Yeah, vascular dementia can develop with the strokes being small and less obvious over time, and some sources indicate that long standing diabetes will cause encephalopathy (brain problems) due to its effects on the microvasculature (tiniest arteries/capillaries) even if you never block off a bigger vessel. That works the same as when you can have sores that won't heal even right next to a good pulse in a foot or toe.

My mom had this, and the degree of atrophy on her MRI was suprisingly severe; later on she had more definite large vessel stokes, mostly posterior circulation and had vision loss and aphasia from it. We had her on anti-platelet agents but she had some resistance to them, they felt it was too dangerous to use warfarin (Coumadin) and she absolutely would not take a healthier diet. We got a little better control of her diabetes but eventually nothing helped unclog things in her brain or her heart any more and we lost her a few years ago now. But, with this type of dementia rather than Alzheimer's, as bad as it was, she always recognized us and had long term memories to draw on...wish this was not happening to you, and I wish you a better time of it than we had!

A good neurologist will image the brain, and you should ask to see the pictures. Sometimes the images make it all to clear to you what has been happening. Vascular dementia is mini-strokes that accumulate damage over many years. Often we don't notice when a person stops reading novels or cancels the daily paper. We dismiss minor forgetful moments. Years later they stop paying bills or they stop bathing and suddenly we realize there is damage.

This information is of great interest to me as well, due to what I saw in my Grandfather and now I am seeing in my mother.

I do not have a background or expertise in the medical field, but I do know that my father had vascular dementia but did not have any strokes. His only medication once he no longer took Namenda & Aricept was tylenol and/or antiinflammatory meds for arthritic hips.

Keeping someone informed of daily activities and directed helps them as they progress in dementia (though not always easy as many of us on AC know!).

My husband developed vascular dementia about 8 months after a massive stroke. After speech, physical and occupational therapies he overcame the aphasia (not remembering the names of objects) and apraxia (unable to say the words correctly), we thought we had won the battle against all odds - he even could walk again with a cane. Practically overnight he regressed. His neurologist told us that we are now dealing with vascular dementia due to the massive damage from the stroke. He also was diabetic, had heart problems (heart attack, 2 heart surgeries, and a cardiac defibrillator implant). I believe all those health issues were just too much for his body to handle. We always thought that one day his heart would just give up - the nightmare of dementia never crossed our minds.

my understanding is that vascular dementia is brought on by a micro stroke in the brain, or a series of micro strokes, that the brain does not recover from. micro strokes are common in all of us, but a healthy brain recovers from these. this is the type of stroke that has no outward physical manifestation, except that each time a person with vascular dementia has another micro stroke that they don't recover from, you will see a drop in their abilities. keep the brain healthy with high doses of omega 3s, healthy fats and supplements specific to brain health. i have heard about a book written by Dr. Perlmutter called Grain Brain that is supposed to be really informative.

Yes my mum has diabetes (which she has NEVER controlled?) Now "vascular dementia" she will be having a series of ministrokes especially when she "hypos" her geriatrician said diet and excercise are paramount to whether she declines quickly or not. She refuses to excercise eats what she wants and is now not taking her meds shes dropping them all over the house gets aggressive if i try and take control.

I myself have had a ministroke and had zero sympthoms which is scary to think i had it unknown to me. they found 3 spots on the brain. This is from the stress of looking after mum and i am very worried that i may develope this "dementia" when im older.
Yes all the omegas lots of fresh air,give up smoking eat lots of antistroke foods,Blueberrys,oranges basically the same old same old eat healthy and get lots of oxigen to the brain.
I am know considering getting mum a "shrink" as she wont do as shes told and i cant do this anymore she wont listen to me and does what she likes? Im drained and can see this ending in her dying of a massive stroke or heart attack and soon as she does nothing to help herself. Diet and excercise can slow down the progression of this dementia but thats not going to happen thats why she would live longer in a NH where she would be monitored better than I can do.
Dementia and diabetes is incredibly dangerous i have to make sure shes taking the correct dosage of insulin if she takes it when im not here as she forgets it could kill her.
I am taking Krill Oil which i am finding quite good they also say virgin coconut oil a couple of tablespoons a day can stimulate brain cells.
What i fear the most is genetics both sides of my family have heart and strok ae issues BUT als or dementia is a first here with my mum as that is mainly down to her badly controlled diabetes so sad that this could have been avoided?
I still hope that its not too late for me have stopped smoking and eat all these foods that are good for the brain etc... but as my doc said you can do all this but stress can still cause a stroke? I need to find a solution now to mums care as the stress of looking after her could cause another stroke and i have to now think of my own health.
My mum had been on meds all her life which i find frightening her health issues could have easily been controlled with a good diet and excercise but she would never listen. Part of me is sad for her but another part is angry with her to have all this at 76yrs is just so sad when it could all have been avoided.
I am confused to this dementia as some people say they dont completly lose thier memory while others say they do? My mums short term is going but her longterm is better than mine?
Does anyone know just how this dementia progresses or is everyone different? My mums geriatrician said of all the dementias this one is the better one to get???

It also is very difficult because I AM my mother's POA. Over finances, health, all of it. And if I don't give her enough attention she threatens to move. And if I say "you're not going to move..." she retorts with, "I am the boss of me! And if you try to do anything you are out of the will." I mean I am making her sound like a disney villian here, but she isn't. She's a scared old lady who was scared even before she got old. She lost her go-to guy, her husband/my dad, in 2009, and has been lost ever since. And I don't want to push the envelope, and who knows what she would do.... maybe write me out of the will. Not saying it's about the money but I am literally living paycheck to paycheck (child support only) and when that runs out, I am F*****. I really am. I have no retirement, no savings, I am trying to keep a 3-bedroom 2 car garage mortgage paid and all the other bills without doing without so the kids don't do without... and so I can live across the street from mom and take care of her.
The stress of worry about my future consumes me. THAT is what consumes me. I gave up my career when Dominic, my 17 yr old, was THREE. That means I have no career. I have nothing. When she dies, yeah sure. I'll have the inheritance. If it isn't gone to ALF or Memory Care. She will hang on, let me tell you. She has grandpa's genes, and he lived to be 99, God bless him. I worry every day about tomorrow.