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Multi-infarct dementia (MID), or vascular dementia, is a deterioration of mental capacity caused by multiple strokes (infarcts) in the brain. These events may be described as mini-strokes, where small blood vessels in the brain become blocked by blood clots, causing the destruction of brain tissue.
The onset of MID may seem relatively sudden, as it may take several strokes for symptoms to appear. These strokes may damage areas of the brain responsible for a specific function as well as produce general symptoms of dementia. As a result, MID is sometimes misdiagnosed as Alzheimer's disease.
MID is not reversible or curable, but detection of high blood pressure and other vascular risk factors can lead to a specific treatment that may modify MID's progression. MID is usually diagnosed through neurological examination and brain scan techniques, such as a computerized tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
