Clinical psychology

Organic mental disorders

OMD describe a dysfunction of the brain excluding other psychiatric diagnoses. Sometimes is also called neurocognitive disorders. OMD is closely connected to organic brain syndrome (OBS), chronic organic brain syndrome, or neurocognitive disorder. Organic mental disorders are disturbances that may be caused by injury or disease affecting brain tissues as well as by chemical or hormonal abnormalities. Exposure to toxic materials, neurological impairment, or abnormal changes associated with aging can also cause these disorders. Alcohol, or metabolic disorders such as liver, kidney, or thyroid disease, or vitamin deficiencies, may be factors too (Stokin, 2015).

Primary symptoms:

  • Confusion
  • Agitation
  • Irritability
  • A change in behavior, impaired brain function, cognitive ability, or memory (Garnier-Crussard et al., 2020)

Types of OMD

- Delirium

- Dementia

- Amnestic conditions

According to ICD-10 coding

  • F 01  Vascular dementia
  • F 02  Dementia in other diseases classified elsewhere
  • F 03  Unspecified dementia
  • F 04  Amnestic disorder due to known physiological condition
  • F 05   Delirium due to known physiological condition
  • F 06  Other mental disorders due to known physiological condition
  • F 07  Personality and behavioral disorders due to known physiological condition
  • F 09  Unspecified mental disorder due to known physiological condition

Diagnosis

Blood tests, taps on the spine, or an electroencephalogram may be administered to diagnose organic brain syndrome or an organic mental disorder. Imaging techniques of the brain, like a CT scan or MRI, are also useful, depending on a doctor's decisions. Treatment is chosen according to the underlying issue and the prognosis may vary due to many factors.

Literature

Garnier-Crussard A, Vernaudon J, Auguste N, Dauphinot V, Krolak-Salmon P. What Could Be the Main Levers to Promote a Timely Diagnosis of Neurocognitive Disorders?. [published online ahead of print, 2020 Apr 6]. J Alzheimers Dis. 2020;10.3233/JAD-191253. doi:10.3233/JAD-191253

Stokin GB, Krell-Roesch J, Petersen RC, Geda YE. Mild Neurocognitive Disorder: An Old Wine in a New BottleHarv Rev Psychiatry. 2015;23(5):368–376. doi:10.1097/HRP.0000000000000084