Delirium
Alternate Names : Acute confusional state, Acute brain syndrome
Symptoms & Signs
Delirium involves a quick change between mental states (for example, from lethargy to agitation and back to lethargy). Symptoms include: - Changes in alertness (usually more alert in the morning, less alert at night)
- Changes in feeling (sensation) and perception
- Changes in level of consciousness or awareness
- Changes in movement (for example, may be inactive or slow moving)
- Changes in sleep patterns, drowsiness
- Confusion (disorientation) about time or place
- Decrease in short-term memory and recall
- Unable to remember events since delirium began (anterograde amnesia)
- Unable to remember past events (retrograde amnesia)
- Disrupted or wandering attention
- Inability to think or behave with purpose
- Problems concentrating
- Disorganized thinking
- Speech that doesn't make sense (incoherent)
- Inability to stop speech patterns or behaviors
- Emotional or personality changes
- Movements triggered by changes in the nervous system (psychomotor restlessness)
Diagnosis & Tests
The following tests may have abnormal results: - An exam of the nervous system (neurologic examination)
- Psychologic studies
- Tests of feeling (sensation), thinking (cognitive function), and motor function
The following tests may also be done:
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