Health's Book

Definition

Delirium is sudden severe confusion and rapid changes in brain function that occur with physical or mental illness.

Symptoms

Delirium involves a quick change between mental states (for example, from lethargy to agitation and back to lethargy).

Symptoms include:

* Changes in alertness (usually more alert in the morning, less alert at night)
* Changes in feeling (sensation) and perception
* Changes in level of consciousness or awareness
* Changes in movement (for example, may be inactive or slow moving)
* Changes in sleep patterns, drowsiness
* Confusion (disorientation) about time or place
* Decrease in short-term memory and recall
o Unable to remember events since delirium began (anterograde amnesia)
o Unable to remember past events (retrograde amnesia)
* Disrupted or wandering attention
o Inability to think or behave with purpose
o Problems concentrating
* Disorganized thinking
o Speech that doesn't make sense (incoherent)
o Inability to stop speech patterns or behaviors
* Emotional or personality changes
o Anger
o Anxiety
o Apathy
o Depression
o Euphoria
o Irritability
* Movements triggered by changes in the nervous system (psychomotor restlessness)