The
posterior communicating artery is a small blood vessel which
lies near the base of the brain and bridges the larger posterior
cerebral arteries. These arteries, together with the anterior
cerebral arteries and anterior communicating artery, form
a ring of blood vessels called the Circle of Willis.
The PCoA supplies much of the blood to the
hippocampus
and nearby structures in the medial
temporal lobe. A stroke
or aneurysm which
impedes blood flow through this artery can deprive and damage
these regions, which are critical for the formation of new
memory. The result can be anterograde
amnesia: the inability to form new memories. If the damage
is relatively limited to the hippocampus and nearby structures,
there may be little or no effect on intelligence, attention,
judgment or personality; only memory is seriously impaired.
Further Reading:
Article : "VASCULAR
DEMENTIA"
by Catherine E. Myers. Copyright © 2006 Memory Loss and the Brain |