Dementia is not a specific disease, but rather is a descriptive term for a range of symptoms that are caused by a number of disorders that affect the brain. People with dementia have significantly impaired intellectual functions.
Vascular Dementia (or multi-infarct dementia “MID”) is caused by a series of mini strokes. MID is the second most common cause of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease in people over 65 and usually affects people in the age range 55 – 75, being more common in men than women.
A stroke is simply an interruption in, or blockage of, the blood supply to any part of the brain. If blood flow is prevented for any longer than just a few seconds, that part of the brain cannot get oxygen causing permanent damage.
We use MRI scanning to examine the blood vessels in the brain to spot early signs of narrowing and which left unchecked could lead to a blockage and a resultant infarct or stroke.