Organic mental disorder
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (April 2008) |
| Organic mental disorders | |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Psychiatry |
An organic mental disorder (OMD), also known as organic brain syndrome or chronic organic brain syndrome, is a form of decreased mental function due to a medical or physical disease, rather than a psychiatric illness. This differs from dementia.[1] While mental or behavioral abnormalities related to the dysfunction can be permanent,[2] treating the disease early may prevent permanent damage in addition to fully restoring mental functions. An organic cause to brain dysfunction is suspected when there is no indication of a clearly defined psychiatric or "inorganic" cause, such as a mood disorder.[3]
Now the DSM-IV-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, Text Revision) has broken up the diagnoses that once fell under the diagnostic category organic mental disorder into three categories: delirium, dementia, and amnestic.[3]
Delirium, a mental confusion and emotional disruption, is caused by the sudden change in the brain. Thinking, remembering, sleeping, and paying attention can become difficult during alcohol withdrawal, after surgery or with dementia. Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). Damage to brain functioning could be due not only to organic (physical) injury (a severe blow to the head, stroke, chemical and toxic exposures, organic brain disease, substance abuse, etc.) and also to non-organic means such as severe deprivation, abuse, neglect, and severe psychological trauma.[4]
Alternative names
Symptoms
Many of the symptoms depend on the cause of the disorder but many of the symptoms are similar. Most of the symptoms are physical or behavioral. Dementia and delirium are the cause of the confusion, orientation, cognition or alertness impairment. Therefore, these symptoms require to pay more attention to hallucinations, delusions, amnesia, and personality changes. These affects of the dementia and delirium are not affiliated with the changes of sensory or perception abilities. Memory impairment, judgment, logical function and agitation are some extremely common symptoms of Organic Mental Disorder.
Treatment
While the treatment depends on which disorder is involved in Organic Mental Disorder, there are a few that are possible. Treatments can include, but are not limited to, rehabilitation therapy such as physical or occupational, pharmacological modification of the neurotransmitter function, or medication. The affected parts of the brain can recover some function with the help of different types of therapy.
Prognosis
Some disorders are short-term and treatable, and their prognosis is not as lengthy.[1] Rest and medication are the most common courses of action for these treatable cases to help the patient return to proper health. Many of the cases are long-term. For these, there is not as much of a set and defined prognosis. The course of action can include extensive counseling and therapy. [1]
Associated conditions
- Brain injury caused by trauma
- Bleeding into the brain (intracerebral hemorrhage)
- Bleeding into the space around the brain (subarachnoid hemorrhage)
- Blood clot inside the skull causing pressure on brain (subdural hematoma)
- Concussion
- Breathing conditions
- Low oxygen in the body (hypoxia)
- High carbon dioxide levels in the body (hypercapnia)
- Cardiovascular disorders
- Abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmias)
- Brain injury due to high blood pressure (hypertensive brain injury)
- Dementia due to many strokes (multi-infarct dementia)
- Heart infections (endocarditis, myocarditis)
- Stroke
- Transient ischemic attack (TIA)
- Degenerative disorders
- Alzheimer's disease (also called senile dementia, Alzheimer's type)
- Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease
- Diffuse Lewy Body disease
- Huntington's disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Normal pressure hydrocephalus
- Parkinson's disease
- Pick's disease
- Dementia due to metabolic causes
- Drug and alcohol-related conditions
- Alcohol withdrawal state
- Intoxication from drug or alcohol use
- Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (a long-term effect of excessive alcohol consumption or malnutrition)
- Withdrawal from drugs (especially sedative-hypnotics and corticosteroids)
- Infections
- Any sudden onset (acute) or long-term (chronic) infection
- Blood poisoning (septicemia)
- Brain infection (encephalitis)
- Meningitis (infection of the lining of the brain and spinal cord)
- Prion infections such as mad cow disease
- Late-stage syphilis
- Other medical disorders
- Cancer
- Kidney disease
- Liver disease
- Thyroid disease (high or low)
- Vitamin deficiency (B1, B12, or folate)[1]
- Lithium toxicity can cause permanent organic brain damage[5]
- Accumulation of heavy metals in the brains
- Aluminum
- Mercury poisoning
References
https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms
External links
- ^ a b c d "Organic brain syndrome: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia". Nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 2012-10-12.
- ^ "Organic mental disorders". Depression-guide.com. Retrieved 2012-10-12.
- ^ a b "Organic Psychosis - Medical Disability Guidelines". Mdguidelines.com. Retrieved 2012-10-12.
- ^ "Differences between psychological and neuropsychological evaluation". Webcache.googleusercontent.com. Archived from the original on 2012-05-09. Retrieved 2012-10-12.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Evans, Larry (1970-01-01). "A Case of Lithium Poisoning?, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, Informa Healthcare". Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. 12 (2): 133–135. doi:10.3109/00048677809159607. PMID 278604.