The Bilateral Carotid Artery Stenosis (BCAS) Model of Vascular Dementia

Vascular dementia is the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease. Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion is a key contributor to the development of vascular dementia. In this chapter, we describe the surgical procedures used for bilateral carotid artery stenosis (BCAS) surgery to induce chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. Mice that undergo BCAS surgery develop the hallmarks of vascular dementia including white matter lesions, neuroinflammation, and cognitive impairment. This technique may be used for studies of chronic cerebral hypoperfusion and vascular dementia in mice.