الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract The aim of the present study was the assessment of vWF as a marker of endothelial dysfunction in patients with VaD and to correlate its findings with the severity of cognitive decline. The present study was conducted on 20 patients with vascular dementia fulfilling the DSM- IV- TR criteria and was compared to 20 healthy aged matched controls. Both groups underwent history, examination, MMSE, routine blood tests, cardiac investigations, and testing for fibrinogen, factor VIII and vWF. In addition, the Hachinski score was recorded and CT/MRI brain was done in the patients’ group. The results of the present study showed that plasma vWF levels were statistically higher in VaD patients than those of the control group. No correlation between the vWF level and the MMSE score was found. from this study it could be concluded that vWF levels were higher in patients with VaD, which was found to reflect endothelial dysfunction and/or damage as an important feature of atherosclerotic pathology in VaD. This could be used to help in diagnosing vascular dementia and also in monitoring the treatment. |