Types of Dementia
Delirium
Delirium is a word used to describe an acute Acute
When something is "acute", it means that it is generally short in duration and usually severe.
(meaning suddenly developing or worsening) state of confusion. It is not a dementia, but can occur in someone who has a dementia. Delirium is almost always caused by a medical problem, such as a drug reaction, an infection, a heart problem, or a stroke Stroke
Blood supply to the brain is interrupted, usually by a blood clot. As a result, a portion of the brain can die from not receiving enough blood and oxygen.
. It is very common in elderly people who have dementia, both because older people are more likely than the young to develop illnesses, and people with dementia are more likely to become confused when they are ill. Often, the person with dementia will not describe symptoms - instead, they will just become confused.
Delirium is usually accompanied by a decreased state of arousal and consciousness - it is as though the person is very sleepy. It can also be seen with increased arousal - the person is very alert, their eyes flit from one object to the next, and they appear to be frightened. (People who remember an episode of delirium commonly report having been very frightened when it was going on.)
Other than coming on quickly, another hallmark of delirium is that it fluctuates a lot. A person might seem well in the morning, very confused at lunch, better in the afternoon, and more confused again in the evening. This is in contrast to dementia, in which the same level of confusion exists for much of the day - although it can get worse towards evening, in the so-called ' sundowning Sundowning
Unsettled behavior displayed by patients with dementia, evident in the late afternoon or early evening. ' syndrome.
You can read more about delirium in the book Delirium in Old Age, edited by James Lindesay, Kenneth Rockwood and Alastair MacDonald, and published by Oxford University Press in 2002.
See Also:
About Dementia > "Understanding Dementia" > Delirium
| 
