Glossary terms - V
Vascular dementia
See: Multi-Infarct Dementia (MID).
Vascular diseases
Diseases affecting any of the vessels which carry blood (arteries, veins and capillaries).
Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD)
A hole in the muscle wall that separates the two chambers (ventricles) of the heart.
Vertebral arteries
The two arteries that travel up the back of the neck to the brain which, along with the two carotid arteries, supply all the blood to the brain.
Vertebral Artery Dissection (VAD)
Splitting of the internal vertebral artery wall, leading to a bleed and blockage of the artery, causing a stroke.
Vertigo
An abnormal sensation of movement, spinning, tilting or rocking, which may arise from damage to the brainstem or cerebellum. In other cases it is due to middle ear problems, and may be associated with tinnitus and hearing loss.
Video fluoroscopy
A non-invasive radiological technique used in assessing swallowing ability. Useful in determining when to resume eating, the easiest and safest foods to eat, and identifying treatment techniques that will improve safety during eating.
Visual agnosia
A visual recognition disorder, characterised by the inability to make sense of visual stimuli, as when familiar objects/people can not be recognised. This is often due to damage, in posterior occipital and/or temporal lobe(s) of the brain.
Visual field-cut/field impairment
Loss of sight in a particular area of the visual field, of which the person may be unaware. With a field impairment to one side a person is likely to walk into doorposts or ignore friends on that side of the room. A lower visual field impairment may cause difficulty in walking without tripping over things on the ground, reading from the lower part of pages, or seeing food on the edge of the plate. Lenses that incorporate a prism may be beneficial.
Visual memory
The capacity of the brain to retain visual imagery. Usually the brain records information and data better when it is perceived visually.
Visual neglect
Where a person fails to pay attention to their body or environment on the affected side. This more frequently affects attention to the left side. A person with neglect may no longer wash that side of their face and may experience difficulty navigating even in familiar places. Also known as hemispatial agnosia or hemispatial neglect.
Visual perception
The ability to interpret visible information reaching the eyes, which is then made available for planning and action. The resulting perception is also known as eyesight, sight or vision.
VLDL
Very Low Density Lipoprotein, also known as "bad cholesterol" because it has the highest level of triglycerides of all the three types of blood cholesterol combined with protein.
