Organic disorders Flashcards
Functional psychiatric disorder
disturbance of the functioning of the brain
Organic mental disorders
demonstrable organic brain damage or mental disorder arising in the context of demonstrable physical disease
Problems with distinguishing between function and organic mental disorders
many functional psychiatric disorders have organic basis eg schizophrenia
Many present with mixed features eg depression
physical disorders also have effect on psychological functioning
Difference between organic mental disorders and learning disability
These are acquired
Organic mental disorder - primary and secondary
secondary eg endocrine, substance misuse
4 common features
cognitive impairment
behavioural abnormality
mood changes
psychotic features
Cognitive impairment
disorientation impaired attention memory language judgement insight
Behavioural abnormalities
agitation, aggression
slowing, psychomotor retardation
abnormal social conduct
Mood changes
low mood
anxiety
mania
Psychotic features
hallucinations - visual
delusions (persecutory)
acute/subacute organic mental disorders
delirium
organic mood disorder
organic psychotic disorder
Chronic organic mental disorder
dementia
amnesic syndrome
organic personality change
Delirium
Transient organic mental syndrome of acute or subacute onset which is characterised by global cognitive impairment
Presenting features of delirium
impaired attention anterograde amnesia fluctuating arousal disturbed sleep/wake cycle psychomotor activity hallucinations changes in mood disorganised thinking - speech disorientation in place, time or person
Causes of delirium
infection medications alcohol/drug withdraw drug abuse metabolic vitamin deficiencies SLE dehydration
Dementia
Syndrome characterised by global cognitive impairment which is chronic. Underlying brain pathology variable and usually progressive
Types of dementia
alzheimers vascular lewy body fronto-temporal Other eg head injury, Huntington's, parkinson's
Amnesic syndrome characteristics
preserved global intellect anterograde amnesia retrograde amnesia preserved working memory preserved procedural/implicit memory
Causes of amnesic syndrome (2)
hippocampal damage
diencephalic damage
Amnesic syndrome - hippocampal damage
HSV encephalitis anoxia surgical removal or temporal lobes closed head injury early alzheimers
Amnesic syndrome - diencephalic
3rd ventricle tumours/cysts
post SAH
Korsakoff’s syndrome
Other terms for organic mental disorder
organic brain syndrome
organic brain disease
symptomatic mental disorder
Medications - delirium
steroids
opioids
