ORGANIC M D*

ORGANIC MENTAL DISORDERS

These disorders constitute a wide variety of clinical conditions with markedly different manifestations. Cerebral dysfunction may be primary as infections, injuries or other disease conditions that affect the brain directly, or secondary as systemic disease or condition outside the brain which affect the brain functions secondarily.

A three dimensional approach is needed to distinguish different organic disorders:

1. Whether the resultant symptoms are acute or chronic.

2. Whether the insult to the brain is widespread or focal and

3. Whether the psychological impairment is generalized or specific (generalized – all the mental functions are effected such as primary mental functions, memory and cognition; specific - only one or two functions are affected such as perception, mood, volition, thinking or memory, leaving the other functions and sensorium intact).

The organic mental disorders are divided into:

1. Dementia (Alzheimer’s, vascular and others)

2. Delirium (excluding those due to substance use)

4. Other mental disorders due to the brain dysfunction

5. Personality and behaviour disorders due to brain     dysfunction

Delirium and dementia are widespread generalized psychological impairments. Delirium is an acute impairment. Dementias are chronic. Organic Amnesic syndrome is a specific impairment affecting memory functions. Other mental disorders are also specific impairments affecting perception (organic hallucinations), volition (organic cabatonic disorder), thought (organic delusional disorder), and mood (organic mood disorder) Organic personality and behavioral disorders are generalized conditions due to widespread or focal brain dysfunction.