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Is the amnesia transient or persistent? If it is transient, one should look for evidence of a head injury. If there is no evidence of a head injury, then one should consider epilepsy, transient ischemic attacks, and migraine. If there is ... DIAGNOSTIC WORKUP
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Is there associated fever? Delirium with fever may simply indicate a self-limited infectious process, but it should bring to mind encephalitis and meningitis as well as cerebral abscess and cerebral ... DIAGNOSTIC WORKUP
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Is there a history of drug or alcohol ingestion? Chronic barbiturate intoxication, ergotism, and other psychotropic or antidepressant drugs may cause dementia. Alcoholism may cause dementia in the form of Korsakoff's psychosis ... DIAGNOSTIC WORKUP
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Is it intermittent? Episodic aphasia, apraxia, or agnosia would suggest epilepsy, transient ischemic attacks, migraine, or hypertensive encephalopathy.
Is it acute or gradual in onset? Acute onset of aphasia, apraxia, or ... DIAGNOSTIC WORKUP
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Amnesia is an inability to remember prior events and process new information despite a normal level of consciousness. The memory center in the brain is housed in the temporal lobes; thus, the development of true amnesia requires pathology of both temporal lobes. The most... Differential Diagnosis ... Workup and Diagnosis ... Treatment
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An acute confusional state caused by a disturbance in global cortical function. Features include disturbance of consciousness, change in cognition, fluctuations of symptoms, and evidence that the condition is secondary to an underlying medical condition. Frequently,... Differential Diagnosis ... Workup and Diagnosis ... Treatment
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Dementia is a syndrome of premature neuronal death in focal brain regions. More than 50 illnesses may cause dementia. It affects 1% of the population by age 60, and this prevalence doubles every 5 years to reach 30–50% by age 85. Common... Differential Diagnosis ... Workup and Diagnosis ... Treatment
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Delirium is an alteration in consciousness that can be associated with hallucinations, disorientation, and delusions. Normal thought processes are altered, including judgment, and rational behavior may be lost. Causes are typically metabolic derangements, acute... Differential Diagnosis ... Workup and Diagnosis ... Treatment
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... The most common causes of this disorder are head injury, epilepsy, migraine, drug use, and hysteria. However, it is wise to have a systematic method of remembering the many etiologies to avoid mistakes in diagnosis. The mnemonic VINDICATE provides an
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... The differential diagnosis of delirium is very similar to that for coma and one finds the mnemonic VINDICATE useful in this regard.
V—Vascular disorders of the brain including hemorrhage, embolism, thrombosis, and arteriosclerosis may
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... Memory loss is a real symptom and sign, but organic brain syndrome should be dropped from usage because it is a wastebasket term. Unless the memory loss is functional (“supratentorial"), the cerebrum is the principal anatomic site of diseases
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... Amnesia — a disturbance in, or loss of, memory — may be classified as partial or complete and as anterograde or retrograde. Anterograde amnesia denotes memory loss of events that occurred after the onset of the causative trauma or disease;... History and physical examination ... Medical causes ... Other causes ... Special considerations ... Pictures
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... An umbrella term for puzzling or inappropriate behavior or responses, confusion is the inability to think quickly and coherently. Depending on the cause, it may arise suddenly or gradually and may be temporary or irreversible. Aggravated by stress and... History and physical examination ... Medical causes ... Other causes ... Special considerations
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... Degenerative diseases
Alzheimer's disease
Cerebral arteriosclerosis, multiple cerebrovascular accidents
Pick's disease
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... Alzheimer’s disease, also called primary degenerative dementia, accounts for more than half of all dementias. It results in memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, personality changes, disorientation, and loss of language skills; it essentially steals... Causes and incidence ... Signs and symptoms ... Diagnosis ... Treatment ... Special considerations ... Pictures
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... The essential feature of dissociative amnesia is a sudden inability to recall important personal information that can’t be explained by ordinary forgetfulness. The patient typically is unable to recall all events that occurred during a specific period, but other types of recall... Causes ... Signs and symptoms ... Diagnosis ... Treatment ... Special considerations ... Pictures
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... Amnesia—a disturbance in, or loss of, memory—may be classified as partial or complete and as anterograde or retrograde. Anterograde amnesia denotes memory loss for events that occurred after the onset of the causative trauma or disease; retrograde amnesia, for... History and physical examination ... Medical causes ... Other causes ... Special considerations ... Pediatric pointers ... Pictures
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... Apraxia is the inability to perform purposeful movements in the absence of significant weakness, sensory loss, poor coordination, or lack of comprehension or motivation. This neurologic sign usually indicates a lesion in the cerebral hemisphere. Its onset... History and physical examination ... Medical causes ... Special considerations ... Pediatric pointers ... Pictures
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... An umbrella term for puzzling or inappropriate behavior or responses, confusion is the inability to think quickly and coherently. Depending on its cause, confusion may arise suddenly or gradually and may be temporary or irreversible. Aggravated by stress and sensory deprivation,... History and physical examination ... Medical causes ... Other causes ... Special considerations ... Pediatric pointers
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... Mark W. Nickels
Acute confusional states represent an etiologically diverse spectrum of disorders that may involve alterations in thinking, perception, memory, orientation, or attention. In addition, present may be physiologic changes, alterations in sleep... Approach ... History ... Physical examination ... Testing ... Diagnostic assessment
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... Linda P. Shields
Delirium, as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition criterion (1), is a condition involving an acute confusional state recognized by the patient’s change in consciousness, attention,... Approach. ... History ... Physical examination. ... Testing ... Diagnostic assessment.
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... Anne Cather Cutlip
Dementia is characterized by a progressive cognitive decline leading to social or occupational disability occurring in a state of clear consciousness. It has an age-dependent epidemiology, occurring in 8% of... Approach. ... History. ... Physical examination. ... Testing ... Diagnostic assessment.
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... Differential Overview
❑ Concussion
❑ Alzheimer disease
❑ Drugs
❑ Generalized seizure
... Diagnostic Approach ... Clinical Findings
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... Differential Overview
❑ Alzheimer disease
❑ Multi-infarct dementia
❑ Depression
❑ Drugs
❑... Diagnostic Approach ... Clinical Findings ... Pictures
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... Differential Overview
Systemic
❑ Drugs/toxins
❑ Sepsis
❑ Hypoglycemia
❑... Diagnostic Approach ... Clinical Findings ... Pictures
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... Also known as primary degenerative dementia, Alzheimer’s disease accounts for more than half of all dementias. An estimated 5% of people over age 65 have a severe form of this disease, and 12% suffer from mild to moderate dementia. Because this is a primary... Causes ... Signs and symptoms ... Diagnosis ... Treatment ... Special considerations
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... Apraxia is the inability to perform purposeful movements in the absence of significant weakness, sensory loss, poor coordination, or lack of comprehension or motivation. Apraxia usually indicates a lesion in the cerebral hemisphere. Its onset, severity,... Assessment ... History ... Physical examination ... Pediatric pointers ... Geriatric pointers ... Medical causes ... Nursing considerations ... Patient teaching ... Pictures
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... Apraxia is the inability to perform purposeful movements in the absence of significant weakness, sensory loss, poor coordination, or lack of comprehension or motivation. This neurologic sign usually indicates a lesion in the cerebral hemisphere. Its onset, severity, and... Emergency Actions ... History ... Physical assessment ... Medical causes ... Special considerations ... Pediatric pointers ... Patient counseling ... Pictures
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... An umbrella term for puzzling or inappropriate behavior or responses, confusion is the inability to think quickly and coherently. Depending on its cause, confusion may arise suddenly or gradually and may be temporary or irreversible. Aggravated by stress and sensory deprivation,... History ... Physical assessment ... Medical causes ... Other causes ... Special considerations ... Pediatric pointers ... Patient counseling ... Pictures
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... Amnesia—a disturbance in, or loss of, memory—may be classified as partial or complete and as anterograde or retrograde. Anterograde amnesiadenotes memory loss of events that occurred after the onset of the causative trauma or disease;... History and physical examination ... Medical causes ... Other causes ... Nursing considerations ... Patient teaching
... READ EXCERPTS »
... An umbrella term for puzzling or inappropriate behavior or responses, confusion is the inability to think quickly and coherently. Depending on the cause, it may arise suddenly or gradually and may be temporary or irreversible. Aggravated by stress... History and physical examination ... Medical causes ... Other causes ... Nursing considerations ... Patient teaching
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The most common causes of this disorder are head injury, epilepsy,
migraine, drug use, and hysteria. However, it is wise to have a systematic
method of remembering the many etiologies to avoid mistakes in diagnosis.
The mnemonic VINDICATE
... READ EXCERPTS »
...
The differential diagnosis of delirium is very similar to that for
coma, and one finds the mnemonic VINDICATE useful in this regard.
V—Vascular disorders of the brain including hemorrhage, embolism,
thrombosis, and
... READ EXCERPTS »
...
Memory loss is a real symptom and sign, but organic brain syndrome
should be dropped from usage because it is a wastebasket term. Unless the
memory loss is functional (“supratentorial”), the cerebrum is the ... Pictures
... READ EXCERPTS »
Allen Willner was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease early in the disease process. With medication and the care of his wife, he's slowing the...
People with early-stage Alzheimer's disease know that they will have trouble remembering things. But there are a variety of techniques that can...
People with early Alzheimer's disease know that the condition gets progressively worse over time. Learn how some medications help to stabilize...
While the causes of Alzheimer's are still uncertain, many experts believe the key lies in understanding plaques and tangles, lesions and knots of...