Vascular cognitive impairment is a term used to describe the changes in thinking and memory that occur when there isn't enough blood flow to part of the brain, as can happen with a stroke. "Vascular" refers to blood flow and blood vessels. "Cognitive impairment" refers to changes in the way that you think. Vascular cognitive impairment can cause issues with language, decision-making, planning and judgment. Previously, only the term "vascular dementia" was used to describe memory and thinking changes caused by problems with blood flow. But experts started using the term "vascular cognitive impairment" because it better represents the wide range of types and the severity of cognitive changes caused by vascular problems. Both terms still are used, but now they are used to describe different points on the spectrum of dementia: Vascular cognitive impairment (vascular mild cognitive impairment, mild VCI, VaMCI). This term indicates milder symptoms that don't affect daily living. These changes mostly affect thinking skills, memory, focus and language. Vascular dementia (vascular major cognitive impairment, major VCI, VaD). This term describes significant symptoms of dementia that affect daily living. Symptoms may be similar to vascular mild cognitive impairment but are more severe and may be more like symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Vascular dementia sometimes is called major vascular cognitive impairment. Vascular cognitive impairment and vascular dementia can happen after a stroke. A stroke may occur when a blood clot blocks an artery or a blood vessel bursts and causes bleeding inside the brain. Both of these events cut off the oxygen and nutrients brain cells need. Not every stroke leads to vascular cognitive impairment. Whether thinking and memory are affected depends on how severe the stroke is and where in the brain it happens. Vascular cognitive impairment and vascular dementia also can result from other conditions that damage blood vessels and reduce circulation. Factors that increase your risk of heart disease and stroke also raise your risk of vascular cognitive impairment. Those factors include diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking. Managing these factors may help lower your chances of developing vascular cognitive impairment. Types of vascular cognitive impairment: Multi-infarct dementia. This type of vascular cognitive impairment is caused by several strokes, often affecting different parts of the brain. Over time, the damage from these strokes can affect memory and thinking. Post-stroke dementia. This type of major vascular cognitive impairment occurs in someone who has dementia symptoms within six months after having a stroke. The dementia does not go away. The person may or may not have had any dementia symptoms before the stroke. Mixed dementia. This term usually means that a person has both Alzheimer's disease and a type of vascular dementia. It sometimes is used to describe any combination of dementias. It's more common in older adults. Subcortical ischemic vascular dementia. This happens when there is damage to the small blood vessels and nerve fibers found in the white matter of the brain. This is most common in people with blood vessel disease or high blood pressure or those who have had an earlier stroke. Early symptoms often include trouble with attention, planning and movement rather than memory.