13. Organic Mental Disorders

Question 1

What are Organic Mental Disorders?

Answer 1

Acquired Disorders which have a Recognized Organic Explanation

Question 2

What is the Distinction between

1. Functional Psychiatric Disorders?
2. Organic Mental Disorders?

Answer 2

1. Characterized by Disturbed Functioning of the Brain

2. Characterized by Demonstrable Organic Brain Damage / Mental Disorder Arising in the Context of Physical Disease

Question 3

What is the Problem with the Distinction of Functional Psychiatric vs Organic Mental Disorders?

Answer 3

1. Functional Psychiatric Disorders often gave an Organic Basis - Bipolar Affective Disorder / Schizophrenia
2. Many Mental Disorders present with a Mixture of Mental and Physical Features - Depression
3. Physical Disorders also have effect on Psychological Functioning

Question 4

What is the Difference between:

1. Organic Mental Disorders, and
2. Learning Disability

Answer 4

Organic Disorders are Acquired

Question 5

What are the 2 Types of Organic Mental Disorders?

Answer 5

1. Primary Brain Disorder / Impairment

2. Secondary Brain Disorder - due to Endocrine Disorder / Substance Misuse …

Question 6

What are the Common Features of Organic Mental Disorders?

Answer 6

1. Cognitive Impairment
2. Behavioural Abnormalities
3. Mood Changes
4. Psychotic Features

Question 7

What Cognitive Impairments might there be in Organic Mental Disorders?

Answer 7

1. Disorientation
2. Impaired Attention / Concentration
3. Memory (Anterograde +/- Retrograde Amnesia)
4. Language
5. Judgement
6. Insight

Question 8

What Behavioural Abnormalities might there be in Organic Mental Disorders?

Answer 8

1. Agitation / Aggression
2. Slowing / Psychomotor Retardation
3. Abnormal Social Conduct

Question 9

What Mood Changes might there be in Organic Mental Disorders?

Answer 9

1. Low Mood - Depression
2. Anxiety
3. Mania - Bipolar Disorder

Question 10

What Psychotic Features might there be in Organic Mental Disorders?

Answer 10

1. Hallucinations - Commonly Visual

2. Delusions - Often Persecutory

Question 11

What are the Acute / Subacute forms of Organic Mental Disorder?

Answer 11

1. Delirium - Acute Organic Confusional State
2. Organic Mood Disorder
3. Organic Psychotic Disorder

Question 12

What are the Chronic forms of Organic Mental Disorder?

Answer 12

1. Dementia
2. Amnesic Syndrome
3. Organic Personality Change

Question 13

What is Delirium?

Answer 13

Transient Organic Mental Syndrome of Acute / Subacute Onset, which is Characterized by Global Cognitive Impairment

Question 14

What are the Presnting Features of Delirium?

Answer 14

1. Impaired Attention / Concentration
2. Anterograde Memory Impairment
3. Disorientation in Time / Place / Person
4. Fluctuating Levels of Arousal
5. Disordered Sleep-Wake Cycle
6. Increased / Decreased Psychomotor Activity
7. Disorganised Thinking
8. Perceptual Distortions, leading to Misidentifications
9. Changes in Mood - Anxiety / Depression

Question 15

What are the Causes of Delirium?

Answer 15

1. Infection / Toxins / Industrial Exposures
2. Medication - (Alcohol / Drug) Abuse / Withdrawal
3. SLE / Metabolic / Neurological / Endocrine causes
4. Vitamin Deficiencies
5. Cerebral Vasculitis / Paraneoplastic Syndromes

Question 16

What is Dementia?

Answer 16

A Syndrome which is Characterized by Global Impairment which is Chronic in Nature

Question 17

What are the Types of Dementia?

Answer 17

1. Alzheimer’s Disease
2. Vascular Dementia
3. Lewy Body Dementia
4. Frontotemporal Dementia

Question 18

What are the Features of Amnesic Syndrome?

Answer 18

1. Preserved Global Intellectual Abilities
2. Anterograde Amnesia
3. Retrograde Amnesia
4. Preserved Registration / Working Memory
5. Preserved Procedural (Implicit) Memory

Question 19

What are the Causes of Amnesic Syndrome?

Answer 19

1. Hippocampal Damage - HSV Encephalitis / Anoxia / Surgery

2. Diencephalic Damage - Korsakoff’s Syndrome / 3rd Ventricle Tumour or Cyst / Bilateral Thalamic Infarction