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Breakthrough in Vascular Dementia Research
Published: Tuesday 9th November 2010
Preservation of a protein in some brain synapses plays a key role in protecting against vascular dementia after a stroke, say researchers at King's College London
The study, funded by the Dunhill Medical Trust and led by Professor Paul Francis, director of Brains for Dementia Research, is published in the November issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Researchers say the study findings increase understanding of vascular dementia, and highlight a possible target for future diagnoses and treatment of the condition.
'Understanding the chemical processes that affect the brain when people develop vascular dementia is a vital step towards identifying potential treatments for this common condition. The findings of this study take us that little bit closer towards achieving this goal.'
Professor Francis said: 'Vascular dementia accounts for 15 to 20 per cent of the 25 million people worldwide with dementia, yet there is currently no effective treatment. It is common for people to develop vascular dementia after suffering a stroke, which can be devastating for patients and their carers.
Vascular dementia, the second most common form of the condition, is caused by problems in the supply of blood to the brain, such as a stroke, and can affect memory, thinking, behaviour and the ability to perform everyday activities. One in three older people who have a stroke develop dementia within three months, with a 10-fold increased risk of dementia over five years.
More details on this story can be viewed on the King's College London website
