Pathophysiological rat model of vascular dementia: magnetic resonance spectroscopy, microimaging and behavioral study.

Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion and aging can be related to vascular dementia manifested by the decline in cognitive abilities and memory impairment. The identification of specific biomarkers of vascular disorder in early stages is important for the development of neuroprotective agents. In the present study, a three-vessel occlusion (3-VO) rat model of vascular dementia in the middle-aged rat brain was used to investigate the effect of global cerebral hypoperfusion.