Is Dementia Different From Delirium?

Posted on Thu, 8 Jun 2017

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Thu, 8 Jun 2017 Answered on

Fri, 7 Jul 2017 Last reviewed on

Question : Dear Doctor, I care for an eldely person and need some advice. (1) Could you give me some guidelines that could help me to tell the difference between mild dementia and delirium? and (2) In what ways is it easy to confuse the two with regard to symptoms?

Answered by Dr. salah saad shoman (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Acute onset of delirium

Detailed Answer:
Dear Sir, I have gone through your question and I understand your concerns.

The difference is that Dementia develops over time, with a slow progression of cognitive decline. Delirium occurs abruptly, and symptoms can fluctuate during the day and from day to day.

The hallmark in differentiating them is that delirium causes inattention and distraction. The individual simply cannot focus on one idea or task. Also, the individual suffers from disorganized thinking and altered level of consciousness including hallucinations.

Generally, it is difficult to differentiate between both conditions as they tend to occur together in many cases.

I hope I answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee