Neurological Disorder

Management

Assignment # 1
Name: Uzra Batool
Sap Id: 34262
Submitted to: Dr. Hira Jabeen
Topic: The differences between delirium and dementia
To best support your loved one, it's important to know how to identify both delirium
and dementia. What are the signs and symptoms? What causes these cognitive
issues? And how are these conditions different? Let's take a closer look at delirium
vs. dementia

Delirium:
Delirium, or a confused mental state, occurs suddenly. A person has a change in
mental status and acts disoriented and distracted. Delirium is more common in older
adults, especially those with dementia, and people who need hospitalization.
Some common signs that indicate an episode of delirium include:

• Mood changes: Anger, agitation, anxiety, depression, suspicion, and fear are
all common in delirium
• Changes in speech: Your loved one may have slurred speech or suddenly
start saying things that make no sense
• Sleep changes: Seniors may become more active at night or sleepy during the
day
• Disorientation and confusion: A senior might not know where they are or
what they are doing
• Visual hallucinations: Your loved one may report seeing things that aren't
there
• Physical issues: They may report incontinence, chills, fever, or pain.

Dementia:
Dementia is a condition where a person's memory, thinking, understanding or
judgement can be affected. It gets worse with time. People who have dementia are
at a higher risk of developing delirium.
Because delirium and dementia both affect cognitive ability, it's easy to get these
conditions confused. In fact, individuals with dementia are more likely than others
to experience episodes of delirium. However, while delirium refers to a sudden
onset of confusion and disorientation, dementia is a progressive condition. It can
occur over the course of months and years. Unlike delirium — which usually goes
away fairly quickly with treatment — dementia remains a long-term condition.

The most common form of dementia (around 60% to 80% of cases) is Alzheimer's
disease. Because dementia can affect different parts of the brain, the way dementia
is manifested might vary significantly from person to person. And because it's a
progressive illness, symptoms usually worsen over time. These are some of the
most common signs and symptoms of dementia:

• Memory loss
• Difficulty with activities of daily life (i.e. shopping, paying bills, and
cooking)
• Changes in mood
• Changes in the ability to problem-solve
• Increasing difficulty with focusing or paying attention
• Changes in personality

Dementia Vs. Delirium:

When it comes to these separate cognitive conditions, it's important to realize that
an individual can experience both at the same time. For example, if your loved one
has Alzheimer's disease but then experiences an episode of extreme hallucinations,
radical mood changes, and unusual confusion and disorientation, then they may need
to seek medical treatment for delirium.
Following are the general key differences between Dementia and Delirium

Conditions Delirium Dementia

Memory Affects attention and Memory loss
concentration
Attention Easily distracted and unable Issues with attention but able
to concentrate to remain relatively attentive
Speech Slurred speech No slurred speech
Hallucination Commonly Occasionally
Illness Due to illness, surgery or Not due to illness.
drugs
Sleep Changes Active during night and Not reported
sleepy during day
Physical issues Incontinences, Fever, chill Difficulty with activities of
daily life

References:
1. Delirium. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-5. 5th ed.
Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2013. http://dsm.psychiatryonline.org.
Accessed May 1, 2018.

2. Delirium. Merck Manual Professional Version.

https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/neurologic-disorders/delirium-and-
dementia/delirium. Accessed May 1, 2018.

3. Francis J Jr, et al. Diagnosis of delirium and confusional states.

https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed May 1, 2018.

4. Francis J Jr. Delirium and acute confusional states: Prevention, treatment, and prognosis.
https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed May 1, 2018.
5. Getting started with long-distance caregiving. National Institute on Aging.
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/getting-started-long-distance-caregiving. Accessed May
1, 2018.

6. Hshieh TT, et al. Effectiveness of multi-component non-pharmacologic delirium

interventions: A meta-analysis. JAMA Internal Medicine. 2015;175:512.

7. Blair GJ, et al. Nonpharmacologic and medication minimization strategies for the
prevention and treatment of ICU delirium: A narrative review. Journal of Intensive Care
Medicine. In press. Accessed May 1, 2018.

8. Overview of delirium and dementia. Merck Manual Professional Version.

https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/neurologic-disorders/delirium-and-
dementia/overview-of-delirium-and-dementia#v1036241. Accessed May 7, 2018.

9. 10 tips for family caregivers. Caregiver Action Network.

http://caregiveraction.org/resources/10-tips-family-caregivers. Accessed May 7, 2018.