Vascular dementia: Molecular targets of neuroprotective therapy

Abstract

Vascular dementia is considered a heterogeneous group of brain diseases in which a cognitive deficit appears because of cerebrovascular disorders caused by chronic hypoperfusion. The pathogenesis includes a complex of processes from changes in cerebral hemodynamics to discordance of neural networks and cognitive disorders. The modern concept of vascular dementia discriminates molecular links of disturbed regulatory and signaling pathways in the brain. The prospective therapeutic targets relate to the regulation of metabolism, signaling molecules of extra- and intracellular control, immune response, apoptosis, and longterm memory. The limitations of current therapeutic agents for dementia can be supplemented by data on pharmacological targets and the opportunity for correction of disturbed processes in the brain.