Differential diagnosis and common pathology between Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia

Abstract

Dementia due to both Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and cerebrovascular disease (CVD) is designated as mixed dementia, or alternatively, AD with CVD. Cerebral amyloid angiopathy almost always accompanies AD, and causes lobar microbleeds, cortical subarachnoid hemorrhage and cortical microinfarctions. Dementia exclusively with cerebral amyloid angiopathy is a form of vascular dementia, while it is classified to AD when significant Alzheimer’s pathology coexists. Between AD and vascular dementia there are common and overlapping pathologies, which is important for differential diagnosis of these diseases.