Abstract
This study discusses pathological changes seen in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD), representative types of dementia. The cardinal pathological changes in AD consist of neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques. In regards to VaD, the pathological changes in the brain in BD (which is a typical example of VaD) indicate that lacunae and subcortical white matter changes result from small vessel disease. For the purpose of research and treatment of patients suffering from such forms of dementia, diagnostic criteria are needed in order to standardize clinical and pathological diagnoses. Problems in establishing such diagnostic criteria are discussed. In addition, various vascular lesions complicating AD and BD were shown to aggravate cognitive and neurological functions.
