In this essay we will discuss about:- 1. Definition of Organic Mental Disorders 2. Historical Background of Organic Mental Disorders 3. Classification.
Essay # 1. Definition of Organic Mental Disorders:
Organic mental syndrome (organic brain syndrome) is a psychological or behavioural abnormality associated with transient or permanent dysfunction of the brain. Of the specific etiology is known or presumed, the syndrome is called an organic mental disorder.
Organic brain syndromes may be classified into acute (e.g., Delirium) and chronic (e.g., Dementia) (seeTable13.1)
Essay # 2. Historical Background of Organic Mental Disorders:
Celsus in the first century A.D. used the terms “delirium’ and “dementia”. Pinel and Esquirol described senile dementia. Antoine Laurant Jesse Bayle (1822) described dementia paralytica and its association with neurosyphilis. Korsakoff (1890) described an amnestic state (Korsakoff Psychosis) in association with polyneuritis.
Eugen Bleuler introduced the concept of chronic organic psychosyndrome (resembling dementia). Alois Alzheimer (1864-1915) reported the first case of progressive dementia in 1906. Sutton, in 1813, described specific clinical syndrome—delirium tremens and its association with alcoholism.
Epidemiology:
The exact incidence and prevalence of organic mental disorders are not known. They are quite frequent among hospitalized medical patients, physical ill patients, psychiatric inpatients and outpatients. Organic mental syndrome is believed to affect at least 10 to 30 percent of all medical and surgical inpatients.
Etiology:
The important causes of organic mental syndromes are listed in Table 13.2. (using Mnemonic “Vindictive Mad”).
Essay # 3. Classification of Organic Mental Disorders:
a) Cognitive impairment is global e.g., Delirium, Dementia.
b) Selected areas of cognition impaired e.g., Amnestic syndrome.
c) Resembling Schizophrenic or Affective disorders e.g., Organic (delusional or mood) syndrome.
d) Resembling Anxiety disorder e.g., Organic Anxiety Disorder.
e) Personality is affected e.g., Organic personality syndrome.
f) Substance ingestion or withdrawal.
g) Residual category (unclassified), e.g., Atypical disorder.
When etiological agent is known, substitute it with that e.g., Organic hallucinosis due to alcohol is called Alcoholic hallucinosis.
Differential Diagnosis:
The differences between organic and functional psychoses are given in Table 13.3.
