7Vascular Dementia Diagnosis
There is currently no definitive test to diagnose vascular dementia. Your doctor needs to start with a physical exam and interview to know possible symptoms and medical history. Based on initial results, some tests should be done to find out a possible cause of the symptoms. These include:
– Neurocognitive tests: To examine your mental abilities, including judgment, problem solving, memory, reasoning, and planning.
– Blood tests: To check for signs of high cholesterol levels or high blood sugar levels. In addition, they can rule out conditions with similar symptoms like thyroid disorders, anemia, or vitamin deficiencies.
– Imaging tests: To locate and determine possible changes or damage to the brain after a stroke or trauma. Common options include MRI scans, CT scans, and ultrasound scans.[7]
