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Vascular Cognitive Impairment (VCI)
Rundek T, Tolea M, Ariko T, Fagerli EA, Camargo CJ.. Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics, 2021-12-22
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) is predominately caused by vascular risk factors and cerebrovascular disease. VCI includes a broad spectrum of cognitive disorders, from mild cognitive impairment to vascular dementia caused by ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke, and vascular factors alone or in a combination with neurodegeneration including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and AD-related dementia. VCI accounts for at least 20-40% of all dementia diagnosis. Growing evidence indicates that cerebrovascular pathology is the most important contributor to dementia, with additive or synergistic interactions with neurodegenerative pathology. The most common underlying mechanism of VCI is chronic age-related dysregulation of CBF, although other factors such as inflammation and cardiovascular dysfunction play a role. Vascular risk factors are prevalent in VCI and if measured in midlife they predict cognitive impairment and dementia in later life. Particularly, hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, and smoking at midlife are each associated with a 20 to 40% increased risk of dementia. Control of these risk factors including multimodality strategies with an inclusion of lifestyle modification is the most promising strategy for treatment and prevention of VCI. In this review, we present recent developments in age-related VCI, its mechanisms, diagnostic criteria, neuroimaging correlates, vascular risk determinants, and current intervention strategies for prevention and treatment of VCI. We have also summarized the most recent and relevant literature in the field of VCI.
Key findings
- Growing evidence indicates that cerebrovascular pathology is the most important contributor to dementia, with additive or synergistic interactions with neurodegenerative pathology.
- Particularly, hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, and smoking at midlife are each associated with a 20 to 40% increased risk of dementia.
Why it matters
This review states that vascular cognitive impairment accounts for at least 20-40% of all dementia diagnoses and that midlife hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, and smoking are each associated with a 20 to 40% increased risk of dementia. It suggests that controlling these risk factors, including with lifestyle modification, is the most promising strategy for treatment and prevention of vascular cognitive impairment.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 50/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Neurotherapeutics: journal h-index 156 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 3 / 5 | 2022 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 307 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 51.2 citations a year over 6 year(s) since 2022 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 22.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 10 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 4 / 4 | Cited 250 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Christian J. Camargo: h-index 5 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Miami: institution h-index 998 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 34939171) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 50 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1007/s13311-021-01170-y
- PubMed: 34939171
- Original source →
- Free full text: Neurotherapeutics →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Rundek, T., Tolea, M., Ariko, T., Fagerli, E. A., & Camargo, C. J. (2022). Vascular Cognitive Impairment (VCI). Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13311-021-01170-y
Vancouver
Rundek T, Tolea M, Ariko T, Fagerli EA, Camargo CJ. Vascular Cognitive Impairment (VCI). Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics. 2022. doi:10.1007/s13311-021-01170-y. PMID: 34939171.
BibTeX
@article{rundek2022-34939171,
author = {Rundek, T. and Tolea, M. and Ariko, T. and Fagerli, E. A. and Camargo, C. J.},
title = {{Vascular Cognitive Impairment (VCI)}},
journal = {Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics},
year = {2022},
doi = {10.1007/s13311-021-01170-y},
pmid = {34939171},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s13311-021-01170-y}
}
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