Organic Disorders with Special Reference to the Elderly

Abstract

It is impossible to discuss the organic psychiatric syndromes without frequent reference to the elderly. This chapter begins, therefore, with an overview of old age and mental disorder, as a necessary backdrop to our main topic. The organic psychiatric syndromes (synonyms: organic brain syndromes, acute and chronic brain failure, organic psychoses) are those disorders in which psychological disturbance is due to a definite, recognisable physical cause. The disruption in brain function that leads to psychological disturbance can be either temporary (acute), or permanent, and often progressive (chronic). To describe all types of organic disorder would be inappropriate in a textbook for social workers, and only the more common conditions are included. Epilepsy, which is generally the province of the neurologist rather than the psychiatrist, is briefly discussed in a separate section at the end.