organic-brain-syndrome

Sexual Activity and Organic Brain Syndrome
Old age is not a contraindication for sexual activity.

Sexual Activity in people with Organic Brain Syndrome depends upon the physical disease underneath the symptom picture and the recovery from that disease.
Symptoms
Symptoms can differ based on the disease. In general, organic brain syndromes cause:

1. Agitation
2. Confusion
3. Long-term loss of brain function (dementia)
4. Severe, short-term loss of brain function (delirium)

Differential Diagnosis
Other conditions that may be related to organic brain syndrome include:

1. Depression
2. Neurosis
3. Psychosis

Questions
Is Organic Brain Syndrome a disease?
Is Organic Brain Syndrome a Psychiatric Disease? Answer: No. It is a physical disease. It can mimic depression, neurosis, psychosis = psychiatric disorders.

What are the symptoms of organic brain syndrome?
Are you uncertain about the exact disorder?

Have you been wrongly diagnosed as OBS?

Alternative Names of Organic Brain Syndrome
OBS; Organic mental disorder (OMS); Chronic organic brain syndrome
Definition
Organic brain syndrome (OBS) is a general term that refers to diseases (usually not psychiatric disorders) that cause decreased mental function.
Causes
OBS is common in the elderly. It is not a part of the normal aging process, however.
OBS is not a separate disease, but is a general term used to describe physical conditions that can cause mental changes.

Disorders associated with OBS include:

1. Brain injury caused by trauma
2. Bleeding into the brain (intracerebral hemorrhage)
3. Bleeding into the space around the brain (subarachnoid hemorrhage)
4. Blood clot causing pressure on brain (chronic subdural hematoma)
5. Concussion
6. Breathing conditions
7. Low oxygen in the body (hypoxia)
8. High carbon dioxide levels in the body (hypercapnia)
9. Cardiovascular disorders
10. Abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmias)
11. Brain injury due to high blood pressure (hypertensive brain injury)
12. Dementia due to many strokes (multi-infarct dementia)
13. Heart infections (endocarditis, myocarditis)
14. Stroke
15. Transient ischemic attack (TIA)
16. Degenerative disorders
17. Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease
18. Diffuse Lewy Body disease
19. Huntington’s disease
20. Multiple sclerosis
21. Normal pressure hydrocephalus
22. Parkinson’s disease
23. Pick’s disease
24. Senile dementia, Alzheimer’s type
25. Dementia due to metabolic causes
26. Drug and alcohol-related conditions
27. Alcohol withdrawal state
28. Intoxication, drug abuse, or alcohol use
29. Long-term effects of alcohol, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
30. Withdrawal from drugs (especially sedative-hypnotics and corticosteroids)
31. Infections
    • Any sudden onset (acute) or long-term (chronic) infection
    • Blood poisoning (septicemia)
    • Swelling of the brain (encephalitis)
    • Swelling of the lining of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis)
    • Other medical disorders
    • Cancer
    • Kidney disease
    • Liver disease
    • Thyroid disease (high or low)
    • Vitamin deficiency (B12 and others)

Exams and Tests
Tests depend on the disorder, but may include:

• Blood tests
• Electroencephalogram (EEG)
• Head CT scan
• Head MRI

Treatment
Treatment depends on the disorder. Many of the disorders have mainly supportive care to assist the person in areas where brain function is lost.

Medications may be needed to reduce aggressive behaviors that can occur with some of the conditions.

Outlook (Prognosis)
See the specific disorder. Some disorders are short-term and treatable, but many are long-term or get worse over time.

Possible Complications
People with OBS often lose the ability to interact with others or function on their own.

Source:
Update Date: 2/13/2008
Reviewed By: Luc Jasmin, MD, PhD, Departments of Anatomy & Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

http://adam.about.com/encyclopedia/infectiousdiseases/Organic-brain-syndrome.htm

Definitions

Further reading
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_brain_syndrome

http://adam.about.com/encyclopedia/infectiousdiseases/Parkinsons-disease.htm

http://www.umm.edu/ency/article/001401.htm

http://adam.about.com/encyclopedia/infectiousdiseases/Multi-infarct-dementia.htm