Psychiatric Disorder Due To General Medical ConditionsPsychiatric Disorders Due To General Medical Conditions David A. Beck, M.D., F.A.C.P.
¾ The differential diagnosis for a mental syndrome in a patient should always include
consideration of any general medical disease or disorder a patient may have.
¾ Additionally, any prescription, non-prescription or illegal substances a patient is taking
Delirium – Clinical Description and Course
¾ Impaired memory function ¾ Hypoactive or hyperactive ¾ Key Features
Rapid onset of mental confusion hours to days Rapid fluctuations in the severity of symptoms
Delirium – Clinical Description and Course
¾ The morbidity and mortality associated from unrecognized or untreated delirium are
¾ 22-76% chance of dying that hospitalization ¾ Prolongs hospitalization and worsens outcome
¾ Thorough examination of the patient’s mental status ¾ Folstein’s Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) – most widely used and best known
Wemicke’s encephalopathy/Withdrawal Hypertensive encephalopathy Hypoglycemia Hypoperfusion Hypoxemia Intracranial bleed/infection Meningitis/encephalitis Poisons/medications
¾ Infection ¾ Withdrawal ¾ Acute metaboloic ¾ Trauma ¾ CNS pathology ¾ Hypoxia ¾ Deficiencies ¾ Endocrinopathies ¾ Acute vascular ¾ Toxins/drugs ¾ Heavy metals
¾ The primary management goal is to discover and attend to reversible causes for delirium. ¾ Ideal medication – should not suppress respiratory drive, cause excessive sedation, cause
hypotension, or be deliriogenic (e.g., anticholinergic) Haldol – drug of first choice
¾ Environmental interventions sometimes help
Nurses and family members can reorient the patients. Clock, calendar, and familiar objects Adequate light, eyeglasses or hearing aid Do no place two delirious patients in the same room
¾ Characteristics of a depression secondary to a medical illness compared to a primary
major depression 1. Older age at onset 2. More likely to respond to electroconvulsive therapy 3. More likely to be improved at discharge
¾ Characteristics of a depression secondary to a medical illness compared to a primary
major depression. 4. More likely to show “organic” features in the mental status examination 5. More likely to have much lower incidence of family history of alcoholism and
6. Less likely to have suicidal thoughts and commit suicide
Mood Disorders Due To A General Medical Condition
¾ 1. A prominent and persistent disturbance in mood predominates in the clinical picture
and is characterized by either (or both) of the following: 1. depressed mood or markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all,
Mood Disorders Due To A General Medical Condition
¾ 2. There is evidence from the history, physical examination, or laboratory findings that
the disturbance is the direct physiological consequence of a general medical condition.
¾ 3. The disturbance is not better accounted for by another mental disorder.
Mood Disorders Due To A General Medical Condition
¾ 4. The disturbance does not occur exclusively during the course of a delirium. ¾ 5. The symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social,
occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
¾ Characteristics of secondary anxiety disorder as opposed to a primary anxiety disorder
include: 1. Onset before age 18 or after age 35 in patients with no personal or familial
2. Characteristic fluctuations in severity and duration. 3. Duration of less than 2 years.
¾ Characteristic of secondary anxiety disorder as opposed to a primary anxiety disorder
include: 4. Absence of other psychiatric symptoms such as phobias or conversion disorder. 5. Absence of a recent major psychosocial stressor.
Anxiety Disorder Due To General Medical Condition
¾ 1. Prominent anxiety, panic attacks, or obsessions or compulsions predominate in the
¾ 2. There is evidence from the history, physical examination, or lab findings that the
disturbance is the direct physiological consequence of a general medical condition.
¾ 3. The disturbance is not better accounted for by another mental disorder.
Anxiety Disorder Due To General Medical Condition
¾ 4. The disturbance does not occur exclusively during the course of delirium. ¾ 5. The disturbance causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social,
occupations, or other important areas of functioning.
Psychotic Disorder Due To General Medical Condition
¾ 1. Prominent hallucinations or delusions. ¾ 2. Evidence from the history, physical exam, or lab findings that the disturbance is the
direct physiological consequence of a general medical condition.
¾ 3. Not better accounted for by another mental disorder. ¾ 4. Does not occur exclusively during the course of a delirium.
Personality Change Due To A General Medical Condition
¾ 3 separate frontal lobe syndromes that in practice tend to overlap.
1. Orbitofrontal syndrome: Disinhibition, impulsive, “pseudopsychopathic” 2. Frontal convexity syndrome: apathy 3. Medial-frontal syndrome: akinesia
¾ Dramatic behavioral change, totally uncharacteristic behavior, loss of social tact, rude,
tasteless, inappropriate language, antisocial behavior.
¾ Labile emotions, inappropriate sexual behavior, easily distracted, lack ability to monitor
¾ Insight and judgment markedly impaired.
Personality Syndrome Associated with Seizure Disorder
Emotional “viscosity” (pedantic and over inclusive thinking) Hyperreligiosity Hypergraphia Intense emotional reactions Humorlessness Hypermoralism Changes in sexual behavior (usually hypersexuality)
Subcortical type of dementia in up to 50% Peripheral neuropathies may suggest increased CNS involvement
¾ HIV encephalopathy: Subacute encephalitis infects primarily the astrocytes.
Results in progressive subcortical dementia without focal neurological signs.
¾ Presentation: ¾ Any age from puberty on ¾ Attacks take many forms ¾ Typically: acute abdominal pain, pain in limbs or back, nausea, vomiting, headache,
¾ Diagnosis: detection of excess porphobilinogen in urine ¾ Urine tends to be red with standing, acidification or heating. ¾ South African variety – examination of stools – extracts have “brilliant pink”
uThe differential diagnosis for a mental
syndrome in a patient should always include consideration of any general medical disease or disorder a patient may have
prescription or illegal substances a patient is taking should be considered
Delirium - Clinical Description and Course
uImpaired memory functionuHypoactive or hyperactiveuKey features
uRapid onset of mental confusion hours to days uRapid fluctuations in the severity of symptoms
Delirium - Clinical Description and Course
u The morbidity and mortality associated from
unrecognized or untreated delirium are substantial
u Prolongs hospitalization and worsens outcome
Screening/Assessment
uThorough examination of the patient’s
uFolstein’s Mini-Mental Status Examination
(MMSE) - most widely used and best known screening mental status examination
Screening/Assessment
u Wernicke’s encephalopathy/Withdrawalu Hypertensive encephalopathyu Hypoglycemiau Hypoperfusionu Hypoxemiau Intracranial bleed/infectionu Meningitis/encephalitisu Poisons/medications
Management
discover and attend to reversible causes for delirium.
u Ideal medication - should not suppress
respiratory drive, cause excessive sedation, cause hypotension, or be deliriogenic (e.g., anticholinergic)
Management
uNurses and family members can reorient the
uClock, calendar, and familiar objectsuAdequate light, eyeglasses or hearing aid uDo not place two delirious patients in the same
uCharacteristics of a depression secondary to
a medical illness compared to a primary major depression.
u1. Older age at onset u2. More likely to respond to electroconvulsive
u 3. More likely to be improved at discharge
uCharacteristics of a depression secondary to
a medical illness compared to a primary major depression.
u4. More likely to show “organic” features in
u5. More likely to have much lower incidence of
family history of alcoholism and depression
u6. Less likely to have suicidal thoughts and
Mood Disorder due to a General Medical Condition
u1. A prominent and persistent disturbance
in mood predominates in the clinical picture and is characterized by either (or both) of the following:
u(1) depressed mood or markedly diminished
interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities.
u(2) elevated, expansive, or irritable mood
Mood Disorder due to a General Medical Condition
physical examination, or laboratory findings that the disturbance is the direct physiological consequence of a general medical condition.
u3. The disturbance is not better accounted
Mood Disorder due to a General Medical Condition
exclusively during the course of a delirium.
significant distress or impairment in social, ccupational, or other important areas of functioning.
disorder as opposed to a primary anxiety disorder include:
u1. Onset before age 18 or after age 35 in
patients with no personal or familial psychiatric histories.
u2. Characteristic fluctuations in severity and
disorder as opposed to a primary anxiety disorder include:
u4. Absence of other psychiatric symptoms such
u5. Absence of a recent major psychosocial
Anxiety Disorder due to General Medical Condition
u1. Prominent anxiety, Panic Attacks, or
obsessions or compulsions predominate in the clinical picture.
physical examination, or lab findings that the disturbance is the direct physiological consequence of a general medical condition.
u3. The disturbance is not better accounted
Anxiety Disorder due to General Medical Condition
exclusively during the course of a delirium.
significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning. Psychotic Disorder due to a General Medical Condition
u1. Prominent hallucinations or delusions. u2. Evidence from the history, physical
exam, or lab finding that the disturbance is the direct physiological consequence of a general medical condition.
u4. Does not occur exclusively during the
Personality Change Due to a General Medical Condition
u3 separate frontal lobe syndromes that in
u1. Orbitofrontal syndrome: Disinhibition,
u2. Frontal convexity syndrome: apathy u3. Medial-frontal syndrome: akinesia
uncharacteristic behavior, loss of social tact, rude, tasteless, inappropriate language, antisocial behavior.
behavior, easily distracted, lack ability to monitor and evaluate own behavior.
uInsight and judgment markedly impaired.
Personality Syndrome Associated with Seizure Disorder
uSubcortical type of dementia in up to 50%uPeripheral neuropathies may suggest increased
uHIV encephalopathy: Subacute encephalitis,
uResults in progressive subcortical dementia
uPresentation: uAny age from puberty onuAttacks take many forms. uTypically: acute abdominal pain, pain in
limbs or back, nausea, vomiting, headache, severe constipation.
uUrine turns red with standing, acidification,
stools - extracts have “brilliant pink”fluorescence under ultraviolet light.
Yom Kippur 5770: Keys, Lost and Found Rabbi Lisa Grushcow, Congregation Rodeph Sholom “Today I am a fountain pen.” Even before that phrase was born, we asked the timeless question: “What does it really mean to become a Jewish adult?” When thirteen year-olds come into my study to work on their speeches, I try to ask them as well. “After all,” I tell them, “it’s not as if y
European Heart Journal (2010) 31, 1036–1037Depression and cardiovascular disease: havea happy day—just smile!University of Michigan School of Medicine, Cardiovascular Center, 1500 E. Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USAOnline publish-ahead-of-print 17 February 2010This editorial refers to ‘Don’t worry, be happy: positiveDavidson et al.10 have examined the association betwe