Differential Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease and Vascular Cognitive Disorders
摘要
Cognitive disorders (CD) constitute a common problem encountered by doctors of different specialties. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and cerebrovascular diseases are among the commonest causes of severe CD (dementia). Dementia is preceded by a stage of non-dementia CD. Intervention at the stage preceding the development of dementia is believed to be the most effective, leading to extension of the patient’s quality of life at a higher functional level with a decrease in the need for outside care. There is currently a considerable underdiagnosis of CD, especially AD, which reduces the prompt availability of specific drug therapy for patients and adversely affects the prognosis of the disease. This report presents basic information on the pathogenesis and methods of clinical and paraclinical diagnosis of AD and vascular CD. The main markers discriminating these diseases and diagnosing them at the stage preceding the development of dementia are discussed.