Unraveling Pathophysiological Link Between Mitophagy Pathway and Vascular Dementia

Context: Vascular dementia (VaD) is the second most common type of after Alzheimer’s disease worldwide. a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by gradual cognitive impairment. Ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes result in VaD, markedly distributing cerebral blood flow decreasing patients’ memory performance. Due to their high energy demands, neurons are more sensitive cellular architecture changes exposed mitochondrial stress than other cell types. Mitochondrial dysfunction selective autophagy mitochondria, known as mitophagy, associated with VaD. This review aims elucidate association between mitophagy Evidence Acquisition: was conducted independently at least two researchers dominant various VaD studies. We searched databases including Elsevier, Google Scholar, PubMed using terms ‘vascular dementia’, impairment’, ‘mitophagy’. evaluated 70 articles on relationship interpreted results. Adobe Photoshop 2022 used for drawing figures researchers. Results: The process plays protective role experimental models via preserving vascular integrity structure blood-brain barrier, upregulating occludin claudin protein expressions, reducing oxidative stress, dysfunction. Some studies claim that could have adverse effects time-dependent manner against neuronal injury. Prolonged overexpressed autophagic proteins induce ischemic injury cause cells undergo apoptotic death. Conclusions: Although there limited activation mitophagy-related pathways definitive healing unclear, further research needed neurons.