title: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke-Canadian Stroke Network vascular cognitive impairment harmonization standards.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  One in 3 individuals will experience a stroke, dementia or both. Moreover, twice as many individuals will have cognitive impairment short of dementia as either stroke or dementia. The commonly used stroke scales do not measure cognition, while dementia criteria focus on the late stages of cognitive impairment, and are heavily biased toward the diagnosis of Alzheimer disease. No commonly agreed standards exist for identifying and describing individuals with cognitive impairment, particularly in the early stages, and especially with cognitive impairment related to vascular factors, or vascular cognitive impairment.
  
  
  METHODS
  The National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and the Canadian Stroke Network (CSN) convened researchers in clinical diagnosis, epidemiology, neuropsychology, brain imaging, neuropathology, experimental models, biomarkers, genetics, and clinical trials to recommend minimum, common, clinical and research standards for the description and study of vascular cognitive impairment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of these discussions are reported herein.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The development of common standards represents a first step in a process of use, validation and refinement. Using the same standards will help identify individuals in the early stages of cognitive impairment, will make studies comparable, and by integrating knowledge, will accelerate the pace of progress.
authors.affiliation: London Health Sciences Centre, University Campus, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hachinski
authors.forename: Costantino
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Iadecola
authors.forename: Ron C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: Monique M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Breteler
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Nyenhuis
authors.forename: Sandra E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Black
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Powers
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: DeCarli
authors.forename: Jose G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Merino
authors.forename: Raj N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Kalaria
authors.forename: Harry V
authors.initials: HV
authors.lastname: Vinters
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Holtzman
authors.forename: Gary A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wallin
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dichgans
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Marler
authors.forename: Gabrielle G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Leblanc
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests