Book excerpt: Vascular dementia is one of the most common forms of mental deterioration for the elderly, second only to Alzheimer's disease. It should not be defined as a single disease, but rather as a group of syndromes that relate to different vascular mechanisms. This is one of the first books to be solely dedicated to the specific class of vascular dementia known as subcortical vascular dementia. The strict focus of the chapters give an depth review that will clarify many different aspects and give an unprecedented amount of detail about this clinical problem. Considering that vascular dementia can be prevented with early diagnosis, the research presented in this book will be important for both students and specialists of this important field.