ABSTRACT
The ideal model for vascular dementia would be one that exhibits histopathological, behavioral and biochemical abnormalities similar to those found in patients with vascular dementia. This chapter uses three experimental approaches or models that mimic different aspects of vascular dementia: rats with middle cerebral artery occlusion, rats with cerebral embolization, and stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP). It presents an overview and critique of the first two experimental models. The chapter focuses on histophathological, behavioral and biochemical data obtained with SHRSP. Neuropathological data revealed that the cerebrovascular disorder in SHRSP was associated with lesions in their brains similar to those seen in typical human case of multiple cerebral infarction. In addition, those SHRSP that died from cerebral infarction exhibited behavioral changes, including increased activity and disrupted Orcadian rhythms, which might correspond to the state of delirium observed in patients with dementia.
