Difference Between Delirium and Dementia

Delirium vs Dementia

Dementia and delirium are two different disorders. Both of these conditions bring up a situation of basic mental confusion or bewilderment. The symptoms considerably overlap with each other because they mainly involve dysfunctions concerning the patient’s cognition. Patients can be predisposed to have similar types of behavioral dilemmas, sleep disorder issues, agitation, or aggression. Dementia patients are more likely to have delirium than other persons.

Dementia happens when there is an obtained intellectual normal functioning loss along with manifestations such as mental bewilderment, lack of coordination, perplexity, lack of memory, petulance, inability to control the bowel and bladder, weakened judgment and cognitive abilities, reduced attention span, flat affect, and inability to move accordingly. The mentioned incapacitating symptoms usually occur in elderly patients. It can take years for this condition to develop. This condition is incurable and is triggered by stress, depression, deficiency in vitamin B12, alcohol abuse, thyroid disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.

In contrast with dementia, delirium may progress abruptly, and other forms of medical crises can result in delirium. They can be restored to their normal state or at least physicians can avert the progression of the manifestations so that further brain damage will be prevented. Delirium is manifested by an abrupt disturbance in the person’s consciousness and general modifications in cognition. The patient may exhibit hyperactivity if troubled in which circumstances the patient is expected to experience hallucinations or delusions and disorientation. If the patient is sedated, confused, or lethargic, he may exhibit hypoactivity.

Delirium usually originates from physiologic problems like metabolic disparity, substance abuse, infection, liver failure, and congestive heart failure disease. Neurochemically speaking, acetylcholine levels are disrupted in this disorder whereas dementia comes from the degeneration of neurons such as Alzheimer’s and other degenerative diseases involving the nervous system.

As for treatment, these two disorders have diverse management applications. The manifestations of delirium are prevented or maybe reversed tapering off with medical intervention for the cognitive disabilities. The non-pharmacological therapies for this condition include sequences such as optimizing the environment and supplying a quiet milieu for the patient. Medical interventions involve the utilization of neuroleptic medications such as Risperidone and Haloperidol. These medications are given in case the patient experiences delusions and hallucinations. Anxiolytics like benzodiazepine are also given if the delirium of the patient is derived from substance withdrawal.

The manifestations of dementia inversely can be handled but not dispatched by treatments. Pharmacologic measures involve AChE, or acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, like Donepezil Hydrochloride, Tacrine, Rivastigmine and Galantamine; NMDA or N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists like Memantine; and other behavioral drugs such as antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and major tranquilizers. The most typical medication prescribed to patients with Alzheimer’s is Aricept (Donepezil), though the half-life of this drug is only six months.

Dementia is a constant disorder whereas delirium can come and go with a duration or intensity that doesn’t stay constant during affliction periods. Delirium can depart in a couple of hours or a number of weeks. The duration of its existence depends on the circumstances. Nevertheless, for dementia, patients can have it for months or all throughout their lives.

Summary:

1.Both of these conditions bring up a situation of basic mental confusion or bewilderment. The symptoms considerably overlap with each other because they mainly involve dysfunctions concerning the patient’s cognition.

2.Dementia happens when there is an obtained intellectual normal functioning loss along with manifestations such as mental bewilderment, lack of coordination, perplexity, lack of memory, petulance.

3.Delirium is manifested by an abrupt disturbance to the person’s consciousness and general modifications in cognition. The patient may exhibit hyperactivity if troubled in which circumstances the patient may be expected to experience hallucinations or delusions.

4.It can take years for dementia to develop. This condition is incurable and is triggered by stress, depression, deficiency in vitamin B12, alcohol abuse, thyroid disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. In contrast, delirium may progress abruptly, and other forms of medical crises can result in delirium. A person can be restored to his normal state, or at least physicians can avert the progression of the manifestations so that further brain damage will be prevented.

5.Neurochemically speaking, acetylcholine levels are disrupted in this disorder whereas dementia comes from the degeneration of neurons such as Alzheimer’s and other degenerative diseases involving the nervous system.

6.As for the treatment, these two disorders are have diverse management applications. The manifestations of delirium are prevented or may be reversed, tapering off with medical intervention for the cognitive disabilities. The manifestations of dementia inversely can be handled but not dispatched by treatments. Pharmacologic measures involve AChE, or acetylcholinesterase, N-methyl-D-aspartate, and other behavioral drugs such as antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and major tranquilizers.

7.Dementia is a constant disorder whereas delirium can come and go with a duration or intensity that doesn’t stay constant during affliction periods.

8.Delirium can depart in a couple of hours or a number of weeks. The duration of its existence depends on the circumstances. Nevertheless, for dementia, patients can have it for months or all throughout their lives.

Sharing is caring!