Rivastigmine for vascular cognitive impairment.

Vascular dementia represents the second most common type of dementia. The classification of vascular dementia broadly follows three clinico-pathological processes: multi-infarct dementia, single strategic infarct dementia and subcortical dementia. As not all victims fulfil strict criteria for dementia and may be significantly cognitively impaired without memory loss, the term vascular cognitive impairment is more useful. Currently, no established standard treatment for vascular cognitive impairment exists. Reductions in acetylcholine and acetyltransferase activity are common to both Alzheimer's disease and vascular cognitive impairment raising the possibility that cholinesterase inhibitors may also be beneficial for the latter.