Suitability of neuropsychological tests in patients with vascular dementia (VaD).

The concept of vascular dementia (VaD) has evolved with the introduction of vascular cognitive impairment (VCI). VaD patients show predominantly frontal cognitive deficits. The executive area is particularly affected, while memory deficits are less frequent in patients with VaD than patients with AD. Several neuropsychological tests are available for the diagnosis and differentiation of dementias, but there are currently no tests developed specifically for VaD. We proposed to evaluate various neuropsychological tests, on the basis of evidence from different studies, in order to clarify the utility of the neuropsychological assessment in vascular dementia.