Current approaches to the diagnosis, prevention, and therapy of cognitive impairments in vascular encephalopathy

Abstract

The paper gives summarized data on vascular encephalopathy (VE) and vascular cognitive impairments (CI). The pattern of intellectual and amnestic disorders in cerebrovascular disease and methods for their assessment are presented. Investigations of the prevention and drug therapy for this abnormality are detailed. Particular emphasis is laid on vasoactive therapy and the use of vinpocetine; the largest Russian clinical and clinicoexperimental investigations performed in recent years are analyzed. Correction of vascular risk factors, arterial hypertension in particular, is shown to be of importance. The data available in the literature on the possible use of vinpocetine on poststroke day 5 are given. The basic principles of therapy for CI in VE are stated.

Keywords

• vascular encephalopathy
• cognitive impairments
• chronic cerebrovascular insufficiency
• cerebrovascular disease
• stroke
• dementia
• arterial hypertension
• vinpocetin