Organic Disorders

Question 1

List 4 common features of organic disorders

Answer 1

Cognitive impairment
Behavioural abnormalities
Psychotic features
Mood changes

Question 2

List 3 acute/subacute mental disorders

Answer 2

Delirium (acute organic confusional state)
Organic mood disorder
Organic psychotic disorder

Question 3

List 3 chronic organic disorders

Answer 3

Dementia
Amnesic syndrome
Organic personality change

Question 4

What is delirium?

Answer 4

Global cognitive impairment of acute or subacute onset

Question 5

List some causes of delirium

Answer 5

Infections 
Medications
Alcohol/drug withdrawal
Drug abuse
Metabolic
Vitamin deficiencies
Endocrinopathies
Neurological causes
Toxins/industrial exposures
SLE 
Cerebral vasculitis
Paraneoplastic syndromes

Question 6

What is dementia?

Answer 6

A usually progressive global cognitive impairment of chronic onset. Variable underlying brain pathology

Question 7

What is amnesic syndrome?

Answer 7

Anterograde and retrograde amnesia
(unable to form new memories or recall memories since onset of disorder) with preserved working and procedural memory. Intellectual ability intact.

Question 8

What are the two main causes of amnesic syndrome?

Answer 8

Hippocampal damage
Diencephalic damage
(commonly caused by stroke, trauma, malignancy)