Osmosis video - Nervous system: Dementia and delirium

Dementia and delirium are both conditions that can affect cognitive function, which is the ability to think, remember, and reason. However, they are distinct conditions with different causes and characteristics.

Dementia refers to a decline in a mental function, like memory, language, or behavior that is caused by structural changes in the brain. It is gradual, progressive, and lasts for a long period of time. Dementia can be caused by a variety of conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, and Lewy body dementia.

On the one hand, delirium has an acute onset and usually results from an underlying disorder or the use of certain medications. Symptoms last only for a while and fluctuate over time. People with delirium can present with disorientation, confusion, agitation, and hallucinations, which often reverse once the underlying cause is treated.