ABSTRACT
Cerebrovascular disorders (CVDs) are common in the elderly. Some cerebrovascular abnormalities are caused by specific disease processes such as infections and hematologic disorders, which appear generally unrelated to the aging process, while other CVDs (e.g., stroke) commonly occurring in the elderly are associated with risk factors such as age, hypertension, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, hyperlipidemia and smoking (Victor & Ropper, 2001). The etiology of stroke is to some extent age dependent, with the elderly having greater rates of thombotic and embolic occlusive disease (Brown, Whisnant, & Sicks, 1996). Stroke in the elderly has been shown to result in considerable neurocognitive, neurobehavioral, and functional morbidity, depending on a person’s age, prior medical history, and lesion volume-location (Macciocchi, Diamond, Alves, & Mertz, 1998). Because the base rate of stroke is high in the elderly, neuropsychologists working in geriatric settings are frequently involved in the assessment and treatment of persons with stroke, particularly in acute care hospitals and neurorehabilitation programs. Consequently, becoming familiar with common stroke syndromes, methods of neurocognitive and neurobehavioral assessment, and interventions for the disabling consequences of stroke are important for any neuropsychologist or clinical psychologist working with the elderly.
