The Onset and Symptoms of Vascular Dementia

4. Post-Stroke Vascular Dementia

Sometimes, vascular dementia follows a stroke, the most common cause of which is a narrowing and blockage of a blood vessel. The clot may form in the brain or in the heart. The severity depends on which blood vessel is damaged and whether the blood supply interruption is permanent or temporary. This even can lead to post-stroke dementia.

Less commonly, an interruption to the blood supply is caused by a blood vessel leaking and bleeding into the surrounding brain, causing a stroke. Not everyone who has a stroke will develop dementia. About 20% of people will develop post-stroke dementia within six months after the stroke.