Background: Vascular dementia (VaD) is the second most prevalent form of dementia with an increasing incidence. Due to the heterogeneity of the
syndrome, no widely agreed-upon diagnostic criteria for VaD currently exist, with great debate and disagreements affecting the field. The neuropsychological task of uncovering cognitive impairment attributable to cerebrovascular disease is complicated by this.
Objective: An exploration of the extent to which cognitive impairment, as uncovered through neuropsychological assessment, is relevant in diagnosing
VaD is needed. This review set out to perform exactly such an exploration in order to provide more clarity for the clinical neuropsychologist.
Method: A systematic literature search of studies performing cognitive
assessment in patients with VaD was conducted via the PubMED, PsychINFO and Web of Science databases. The PRISMA guidelines were applied in searching for, extracting data from, and analysing the findings of the studies. 1274 studies excluding duplicates were initially screened, of which 35 fulfilled the predefined inclusion criteria.
Results: The systematic review highlights the importance of neuropsychological assessment in diagnosing VaD. Due to the heterogeneity of the syndrome, patients with VaD are, overall, impaired in all assessed cognitive domains making it difficult to identify which cognitive domains are the most relevant to
assess. Possible circular reasoning concerning memory impairment and the probable low prevalence of a pure VaD syndrome are problematic aspects affecting the research field. The review is limited by quality concerns
affecting the included studies as well as a probable lack of external validity. Conclusion: VaD is a very heterogeneous syndrome which to this day is not fully understood. Cognitive impairment, as uncovered through neuropsychological assessment, is highly relevant in diagnosing VaD.