P Scheltens. Subcortical ischaemic vascular dementia: a separate disease entity? (J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2006;77). This editorial commentary should have been published alongside its linked paper in the print journal, but owing to human error it was not. The commentary can be viewed online at http://jnnp.bmjjournals.com/cgi/data/77/1/28/DC1/1. We apologise for the error.