Vascular dementia (VaD) is the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer’s Disease and its prevalence increases with age. In addition, cardiovascular disease contributes as a comorbidity to all other forms of dementia, and greatly increases the probability that Alzheimer’s pathology will result in clinical dementia. Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) is a term encompassing vascular dementia as well as milder forms of pre-dementia cognitive impairment related to vascular damage that do not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of dementia. Hence, vascular causes of dementia (or “vascular cognitive impairment”) affect a broad spectrum of patients with various manifestations of cognitive decline. Throughout the workshop we discuss both VaD and VCI.
The aims of the workshop were to:
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Better understand the current and future research landscape and identify where existing initiatives are already working to achieve these goals.
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Better understand the perspectives of different key stakeholder groups and provide opportunities for collaboration.
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Identify a specific challenge(s) where a collaborative approach could provide added benefit and significant breakthrough.