[VC] Vas-Cog Symposium
Vas-Cog Asia/Japan Joint Symposium

[VC-6] Vascular cognitive impairment in Asia: A Japanese perspective

^○Masafumi Ihara (Department of Neurology, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Japan)

Asian countries are the hot spot of the world for dementia patients increase mainly Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the issue of Asian AD is the vascular contribution to the classical AD pathology, which is even common in recent AD autopsy. Asian countries have an international consortium to study such vascular component on AD, not only the pure vascular dementia. Therefore this symposium focuses on the vascular contribution to AD phenotype and AD pathology with pivotal speakers from the Vas-Cog Asia representatives.

Dr. Ihara is a Director of Neurology, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center (NCVC), Osaka, Japan. He graduated from Kyoto University School of Medicine in 1995. He received clinical training at Kyoto University Hospital in 1995 and Nishi-Kobe Medical Center in 1995-1999. In 1999 he entered Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine and completed a PhD in Neuroscience in 2003. He received his neuropathological training under supervision of Prof. Kalaria in Newcastle University, UK during 2006-2008. He led a neurovascular research group as an assistant professor of Department of Neurology in Kyoto University (2008-2012). Since he moved to the current Institute in 2013, his research interests have focused on the imaging and pathological changes in brain blood vessels and how the alterations impact on brain health during old age. He is a Fellow of the Japanese Society of Neurology, of the American College of Physicians (FACP), and of the American Heart Association (FAHA).