Sometimes a characteristic pattern of vascular dementia symptoms follows a series of strokes or ministrokes. When changes in your thinking and reasoning seem clearly linked to a stroke, this condition is sometimes called post-stroke dementia. Vascular dementia symptoms may be most clear-cut when they occur suddenly following a stroke. Sudden or frequent urge to urinate or inability to control passing urine.Decline in ability to analyze a situation, develop an effective plan and communicate that plan to others.Reduced ability to organize thoughts or actions.Trouble paying attention and concentrating.Vascular dementia signs and symptoms include: But unlike Alzheimer's disease, the most significant symptoms of vascular dementia tend to involve speed of thinking and problem-solving rather than memory loss. Symptoms often overlap with those of other types of dementia, especially Alzheimer's disease dementia. Keep instructions clear and short, no more than 5 or 6 words to a sentence, and only 1 or 2 instructions at a time.Vascular dementia symptoms vary, depending on the part of your brain where blood flow is impaired. ![]() Try slowing the activity down, working through a step at a time.It is important not to overload yourself, finish one task before you start another.Set alarms, reminders and memos to remind you throughout the day. Use notes, lists and labels around the house and help prompt you to remember.Check your calendar, newspaper or diary to help you remember the day and date.Photos and pictures can help to ‘trigger’ your memory.Writing down appointments and creating to-do-lists can help you to remember them. To help with memory and perception problems, try using a diary, day planner, calendar or notepad.Most improvements occur in the first 3 months after a stroke, after which they slow down, but the brain will keep creating new neural pathways after this time. But, there are some things you can to do help. Cognitive problems are confusing and frustrating.This could result in difficulties when trying to follow a television programme, or conduct a conversation with a friend. Stroke can impact on this ability because of damage to the areas of the brain responsible for this, and also because tiredness, pain and emotional problems have an effect of the ability to stay focused and concentrate. Concentration requires our brain to filter out much of the information coming in from your conscious thinking, so you are not distracted by it. Concentration is required for effective cognitive function, as many of your thinking process require concentration. Please read next: Announcing our new chair of the 2nd Life After Stoke webinar on 20 May. Making decisions, solving problems, understanding numbers and managing money can be a challenge. ![]() Problem-solving too can become difficult. You might have trouble with orientation, which could include not knowing the date, day of the week, or even who you are with. You might not be able to think how to do a simple task, or you may get the sequence wrong (for example, shoes before socks). But damage to the brain can result in problems with these planning and execution mechanisms. You don’t have to consciously think how to boil the kettle, change TV channels or put on your socks before your shoes: you just do it. The brain is constantly working in the background, allowing us to complete a task based on prior knowledge, experience, and learned behaviour. ![]() It can be difficult to plan and organise daily tasks. The severity and localisation of the stroke will effect the type and level of difficulties experienced by an individual, and will vary from person to person. This brain injury can result in damage to the areas of the brain that are responsible for perception, memory, association, planning, concentration, etc. The brain’s fantastic complexity means that it can collect vast amounts of information from your senses (sights, sounds, touch, etc) and combine it with stored information from your memory to create thoughts, guide physical actions, complete tasks and understand the world around you.Ī stroke can affect the way your brain understands, organises and stores information. Put simply, cognition is thinking it is the processing, organising and storing of information – an umbrella term for all of the mental processes used by your brain to carry you through the day, including perception, knowledge, problem-solving, judgement, language, and memory. Did you know that as many as two-thirds of stroke survivors may experience cognitive impairment as a result of their stroke.? If this is you, or you know someone who seems possibly to be going through such difficulties, here’s 18 steps you can take to try and improve cognition difficulties after stroke: First, what is cognition? First published on ARNI Institute for Stroke Rehabilitation websiteĪ change in cognitive ability is common after a stroke.
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