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Introduction: Transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) is a non-invasive tool for measuring cerebrovascular hemodynamics. Studies have reported alterations in cerebrovascular hemodynamics in normal aging, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia, as well as in different etiologies of dementia. This systematic review and meta-analysis was designed to investigate the relationship between cerebral blood velocity (CBv) and pulsatility index (PI) in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) in persons with MCI and dementia. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Epistemonikos, PsychINFO, and CINAHL. The search was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. After screening of 33439 articles, 86 were reviewed in full-text, and 35 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Results: CBv was significantly lower and PI significantly higher in MCA in vascular dementia (VaD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) compared to cognitively normal (CN) older persons. Also, CBv was lower in MCI compared to CN. There were no significant differences in CBv in MCA in AD compared with VaD, although PI was higher in VaD compared to AD. Conclusion: Alterations in cerebrovascular hemodynamics are seen in AD, VaD and MCI. While PI was slightly higher in VaD compared to AD, the reduction in CBv appears to be equally pronounced across neurodegenerative and vascular etiologies of dementia., The study was funded by: 1) Örebro University School of Medical Sciences, Örebro, Sweden; 2) Central Hospital Karlstad, Karlstad, Sweden.

Introduction. The costs for falling accidents in Sweden are very high. There is now evidence that assessments and intervention programmes are effective in reducing the risk of falling. It is important to identify which patients have a risk of falling and therefore would benefit most from fall prevention measures. Patients with stroke have a high risk of falling. The falls may result in fear of falling again and fractures. Hip fractures constitute one of the most serious ones. Compared with the general population, stroke survivors have an increased risk of hip fracture. The risk is up to four times higher than for age-matched control subjects. The most likely explanations are an increased risk of falling and reduced bone density. Aims. Our aims in the present study were to determine if certain test instruments can identify fallers and predict hip fractures, determine the relationship between fear of falling and functional characteristics, describe the circumstances that prevailed when the patients sustained their hip fractures, compare bone mineral density in patients with stroke and hip fracture and to investigate side differences in bone mineral density in patients with stroke alone. Methods. Patients with first ever stroke treated in the stroke unit at Örebro University Hospital during one year were included in the present study. One hundred and sixty-two of the 218 patients who were included participated in the follow-up after six or twelve months. Nine of the patients fractured their hip within two years after stroke. Bone mineral density was measured in eight of them, as well as in 76 control subjects. Results. The results of Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Stops Walking When Talking (SWWT) and Timed Up & Go (TUG) differed between fallers and non-fallers. Previous falls as well as using sedatives and impaired vision was associated with falling. Impaired physical function was significantly associated with scoring low fall-related self-efficacy, both for fallers and no