Subclinical carotid atherosclerosis and cognitive function.

Carotid artery atherosclerosis is a major risk factor for stroke and subsequent cognitive impairment. Recent studies indicate that carotid atherosclerosis without clinical stroke may also be an independent risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia. Ultrasonography is an easily assessable and non-invasive method to measure different stages of the carotid artery atherosclerotic process and is widely used in clinical assessment as well as in epidemiological and clinical research. We give a brief review of studies that have investigated degrees of the subclinical atherosclerosis in the carotid arteries in relation to cognitive function and dementia, and we discuss several possible mechanisms that could explain the association between atherosclerosis and cognitive impairment.