RIVastigmine In Vascular cognitivE Impairment

Inclusion Criteria: * male and female patients, age 55-85 * outpatients, living with a caregiver * Rankin score \<=3 * Diagnosis of Cognitive Impairment Not Dementia due to cerebrovascular disease * Post-stroke cognitive impairment * Cognitive impairment documented by neuropsychological evaluation within 6 months of index stroke Exclusion Criteria: * Advanced, severe, and unstable disease of any type that may interfere with the efficacy evaluations or put the subject at special risk * A current diagnosis of active uncontrolled seizure disorder * A current diagnosis of active peptic ulceration * A current diagnosis of severe and unstable cardiovascular disease * A current diagnosis of sick-sinus syndrome or conduction deficits (sino-atrial block, atrioventricular block) * A current diagnosis of unstable angina * MI within the last 6 months * DSM IV current diagnosis of dementia * DSM IV current diagnosis of major depression (patients may be included if currently being treated on an antidepressant and stabilized after 3 months) * A disability that may prevent the subject from completing all study requirements (e.g. blindness, deafness, severe language difficulty) * A known exaggerated pharmacological sensitivity or hypersensitivity to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors or to other cholinergic compounds * Ingestion of any of the following: * an investigational drug in the past four weeks * metrifonate in the last 3 months * a drug or treatment known to cause major organ system t…