Delirium vs. Dementia
Delirium and Dementia are two different illnesses that share several of the same characteristics, which causes many people to confuse them with one another. The most common similarities between the two include confusion, agitation, and delusions. It is important to understand the key differences between the two because these similarities can cause some to jump toward the wrong diagnosis. Here are a few examples:
Onset - Delirium begins suddenly with a clear starting point, while dementia gradually begins and often has an unclear starting point.
Course - The course for delirium is temporary and reversible, while dementia is permanent and progressively gets worse over time.
Cause - Delirium is caused by acute illness or even drug toxicity. Dementia is typically caused by anatomic changes in the brain.
Awareness - When someone is suffering from delirium they have disturbed awareness. With dementia, their awareness will be normal until the very advanced stages.
Attention - This is similar to their differences in awareness. Delirium causes disturbed attention, whereas dementia won't affect someone's attention span until the more advanced stages are developed.
Speech - Delirium can cause slurred speech during episodes. Dementia doesn’t necessarily affect someone’s word pronunciation, but it can cause them to repeat the same sentences and phrases.
Sleep Disturbances - When someone is suffering from delirium you may notice fragmented sleep patterns. On the other hand, when someone is suffering from dementia they will have more sleep-wake-reversal patterns.
As you can see, there are many key differences between delirium and dementia. It is important to recognize these differences so that you or your loved one can get the proper treatment. If you have any questions, give us a call at River Place at (478) 993-1246, we’d love to help!