Differences between Delirium and Dementia Describe delirium and dementia.

What are the main differences? Delirium and dementia are two separate mental states that can be characterized by impaired memory and judgment, confusion, disorientation, and variable degrees of paranoia and hallucinations.

Similarities and Differences between Delirium and Dementia

These similarities can make distinguishing between the two disorders challenging to the inexperienced clinician; however, there are distinct, critical differences that, once recognized, can assist the clinician in making an accurate diagnosis. Delirium is a transient, usually acute and reversible cause of cerebral dysfunction with confusion that manifests clinically with a wide range of neuropsychiatric abnormalities. It can occur at any age, but is more common in elderly people with somatic illnesses or those who have compromised mental statuses. Dementia, on the other hand, is an acquired impairment of executive function in one or more cognitive domains (e.g. memory, language, executive function, judgment, attention, perceptual-motor function, social skills).